05 30 07 finish the race


“But I do not consider my life worth anything to myself,
so that I may finish my task and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus,
to testify to the Good News of God’s grace.”
(Acts 20:24 NET)

I just want to let you into my personal spiritual battles lately, if it’s ok. Perhaps it will help you in your struggles, or even to pray for me. I do cherish that, for sure! As I struggle with challenges these past few months, I am so burdened with many questions for the Lord. Why did You call us? Why is it so difficult? Why can’t I just concentrate on the work, the thing You called me to do? How long will the struggle last? How long must I be challenged to prove myself and our calling to others? How long will I be on the island of struggle and challenge? When will any sort of consistency come? Why---How---When?

Like Paul, the biggest thing for me is to finish the race my DADDY set me in as a missionary, but the distractions (month after month of letter writing, grant writing, fundraising, phone calls, and meetings) divert my attention too often. Rejections after rejection discourage me, but praise God, only for a brief time. The Holy Spirit, my loving wife, and encouraging friends keep me upbeat! I get a glimpse, small as it might be, of the challenges faced by so many who have gone before me. I must remember “Him who endured the cross---such opposition against Himself by sinners” and “not grow weary” and “give up”, because I have “not yet resisted to the point of bloodshed” (Hebrews 12:2-4 NET) in my struggle against sin!

I read the following words today on the Purpose Driven Life devotional:

“Paul writes, ‘The most important thing is that I complete my mission, the work that the Lord Jesus gave me — to tell people the Good News about God's grace.’ (Acts 20:24, NCV) To Paul, the most important thing we can do is to be on a mission to tell others about God’s Good News.

Telling people about Jesus is more than just a matter of life and death; it involves the eternal destiny of those waiting to hear about Jesus from you. God doesn’t want us to waste a precious minute of our lives doing things that don’t matter — if the most important thing we can do is left undone.

It’s never too late to move faithfully into your mission for God. You may think you don’t have any skills God can use, but the truth is that God would never send you on a mission without making sure you had everything you needed – including your unique shape – and the Holy Spirit active within you.



So what?

Take inventory through your spiritual gifts, passions, abilities, personality, and experiences, God has uniquely shaped you for your mission. Take an inventory of your life and think it through: What mission do you see God has prepared you for?

Don’t waste God’s grace: the Apostle Paul writes, ‘but because God was so gracious, so very generous, here I am. And I'm not about to let his grace go to waste. Haven't I worked hard trying to do more than any of the others? Even then, my work didn't amount to all that much. It was God giving me the work to do, God giving me the energy to do it.’ (1 Corinthians 15:10 MSG)”[1]


So what has God called you to do? Whatever it is, DO IT to His glory. If it is in missions, work! If it is in ministry, work! If it is a school teacher, work! If it is as a parent, work! Even if it is supporting the work of ministry, work at it! We all need to be better and more consistent givers! Don’t wait for the rewards. Work to the glory of God. If nothing else, there is a “well done” waiting for us along with a heavenly residence. We have not been promised a rose garden or even a Rolls Royce for that matter, rather, life, and life “more abundantly” (John 10:10). All God requires of His servant is to be faithful, in whatever we are called to do. So let’s finish the race!

[1] Purpose Driven Life Daily Devotional, May 30, 2007, © 2007, Jon Walker.