This entire year, there has been a consistent theme running in my mind.
We are almost home.
Have you ever had moment when you were desperate, at all costs to just make it home? Earlier this year, I got stuck coming home from a work trip. I made it out of Boston, but then got stranded in Austin, and due to icy roads, had to spend the night in the Austin terminal. Talk about a weird experience...
I remember thinking...Just get me home!
Stephen Covey penned "Begin with the end in mind"
If that's the case...it's worth thinking about, as believers, what is our end goal? It comes back to making disciples and glorying God here on this earth.
We ought to strive for Christ saying one day in heaven, "Well done my good and faithful servant"
Our priorities and mindset should be, "How can I prepare for Christ's coming? How can I finish the race of life well while still on this earth?
It may be weird to hear that from a 31 year old man. But I am more convinced than ever that we need to prepare ourselves today, so that "joy will come in the morning."
Here are 3 reminders of how to keep ourselves focused on our end goal.
1) Be led by the Holy Spirit rather than ourselves. (Galatians 5:16)
One thing I heard that has been really helpful to me was the question, "Who is on the throne today? Is it me, or the Lord?
As a jacked up, prideful person, I so often want to follow my own desires rather than trust in God as the ruler of life.
Galatians 5:16 says, "But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh"
Matthew Henry's commentary on Galatians 5:16 was helpful-
"The best antidote against the poison of sin is to walk in the Spirit, to be much in conversing with spiritual things, to mind the things of the soul, which is the spiritual part of man, more than those of the body which is the carnal part, to commit ourselves to the guidance of the Word, where the Holy Spirit makes know the will of God concerning us."
This battle against our flesh will remain until the end of our days- So running the race well means to battle our flesh well, by filling our hearts, minds, and soul of that of Christ.
In my high school small group days, we had come up with the slogan, KSITC, which means, "Kicking Satan in the crotch."
It makes me laugh every time I think about it, but it is always a funny reminder of our duty to fight our flesh and be led by the Holy Spirit, so much so that Satan feels a kick in the crotch by it!
2) Hold "Things" loosely (Matthew 6:19-21)
This is the one that convicts me the most. In Dallas, it's easy to get wrapped up in the latest car, houses, the craziness of work, money, bills, you name it.
In Matthew 6 in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says,
"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and rust destroy, but lay up for yourselves treasure in heaven. For where your treasure is, there will be your heart also."
Over the last 2 years, I have gotten really into collecting vintage baseball cards. And man it's been fun. But there has been a part of me that has really struggled with getting so wrapped into a tangible item that is more or less worthless in the grand scheme of things.
I think about John Piper's "Don't Waste Your Life message often. In this talk to college students, he tells a story about a couple who has collected seashells. They come to God who asks them what they did with their life, and they said, "Here are some seashells we collected"
Piper yells, "SEASHELLS!!! SEASHELLS!!! DON'T WASTE YOUR LIFE!"
What are the seashells in your life? What do we need to minimize that our mission can be glorified?
How do we navigate enjoying the blessings or joys that Christ has given us, yet keep an eternal mindset?
I really liked the way a similar question was answered by card tycoon and believer, Dr. James Beckett. He responded in an interview with, "You hold things loosely."
Our possessions are not our own. Our houses are not our own. Our jobs are not our own. Everything we have is Christ's, and we are stewards of the resources He has given us.
So let us steward what we have well friends, keeping the end in mind.
3) Live our life as an offering to Christ, testifying the Gospel (Acts 20:24)
At the end of the day, our life is not our own. It is Christ's and everything must follow the calling on our lives to share the Gospel, living our lives for Him.
Acts 20:24 says, "I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish the course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the Gospel of the grace of God."
The hardest part about Acts 20, is that it is not about us. I am so spiritually prideful that I want to be the hero saving the day. But that is the beauty of the Gospel, that Christ came before us and we didn't have to do a thing.
What is our response to that gift Christ has given us? A daily sacrifice of our lives, giving it to Christ to be used for His glory, and testifying our faith to others.
When we have given our lives and cause to Christ, we will finish the race of life well.
May the words of 2nd Timothy be true in our lives.
"I have fought the good faith, I have finished the race, I've kept the faith."
Friends, I hope we will live a life that Christ stand and say, "well done my good and faithful servant!"
I remember when I finally got home from that Boston trip, my boys ran into my arms, held me tight, and shouted, "Daddy's home!" What an amazing moment!
And how much sweeter will it be when we come home to our Good Father, who will hold his arms open to us, as we make our way to our everlasting home!
While we are here on this earth, I pray we would be led by the Holy Spirit, hold things loosely, and live our lives as an offering to Christ.
I'll offer these words as a final charge from Matt Boswell's song, Almost Home.
Don't drop a single anchor, we're almost home
Through every toil and danger, we're almost home
How many pilgrim saints have before us gone?
No stopping now, we're almost home
That promised land is calling, we're almost home
And not a tear shall fall them, we're almost home
Make ready now your souls for that kingdom come
No turning back we're almost home
Keep running the Straight Race friends!
