“. . . my departure is near. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now, there is in store for me, the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award me on that day – and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.” (2 Timothy 4:7-8)
Our aspiration
The end of the apostle Paul’s life and ministry is approaching. His death seems imminent. This is his last chapter in his last letter. I have heard these words used at memorial services and funerals. And every time I have heard them, or read this passage, I desperately want these words to be said about me at my memorial service or funeral. And so do most of you reading this blog!
The fight and the race
The English words “fought” and “fight” each come from the Greek root word “agon-", from which we get our English word “agony.” The point is that the spiritual fight we are called to fight is an intense and strenuous struggle - and exhausting. I boxed at University in South Africa, and going three, three-minute rounds of furious action is totally exhausting, especially when your opponent is trying to knock you down! So, preparation, fitness and perseverance are key attributes of a successful boxer. It’s not for the faint of heart! Our three main opponents are very real – the devil, our sin nature and the world. And their areas of attack usually involve some aspects of sexual temptation, money and ego. These are the three “biggies.” These three enemies constantly tempt us to bail on the “race” God has called us to run -- or at least slow down to a walk. All of us who have run marathons (or even half-marathons or 10Ks) know the powerful temptation to quit, especially in the second half of the race.
Real life
I am sure that each of you reading this blog want above all for these words of the apostle Paul to be used to describe you at your memorial service. But remaining steadfast and consistent for Christ is hard. It can be a real struggle. That’s why Paul often uses the metaphor of a fight or a race to describe the Christian life. And our enemies are always on the prowl. Sexual temptation is a huge battlefield for most men. Our pastor stated in a sermon recently that 50% of pastors have looked at pornography in the last year. I’m not sure if that’s true. But I suspect the percentage is even higher among us “lay” men. Likewise, the temptation to mispresent and fudge on out finances is very real. Not to mention that awful sin of pride – which is perhaps our greatest battle. Me first, now!!
Begin with the end in mind
About 30 years ago Stephen Covey wrote a business motivational best-seller called “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People”. Habit No. 2 was entitled “Begin with the end in mind”, which means “to begin each day, task, and project with a clear vision of your desired direction and destination and then continue by flexing your proactive muscles to make things happen”. Wise words!
For us, Christian men, our spiritual “end in mind” is Paul’s words being spoken of us at our memorial services. So, what does the Bible teach us regarding how we can “flex our proactive Biblical and spiritual muscles to make it happen.” How do we equip ourselves to “fight” and “run” successfully for Christ day in and day out? In this series of blogs, I would like to look at Romans 6 and 8 and Galatians 5, which give us God’s “training log” for living mostly victorious Christian lives. Not perfection, or even close! Not some “secret” formula. But, by understanding who we are by God’s grace and increasingly living by the Spirit we can actually experience His direction and power on a regular basis. We can win many rounds in our spiritual “fight” against out three opponents. And we don’t quit. We keep fighting and running until “that day” when crowns are given out.
Should be a great journey – or better, a great “fight” and “race.”