Perhaps the greatest challenge in life is to finish strong. For my seniors at WC, it's the latest challenge--with many more to come. To a senior like this old man it will be the last challenge. For both of us "seniors," our prayer should be "Lord, empower me to glorify you to the very end."
It's so easy--maybe not the right word--to tell ourselves we've done enough. We've been faithful, we've been diligent, we've nothing left to do that matters. But His glory always matters. And my love for Him should permeate every aspect of my life. For my seniors they have to realize that they need to love Him through obedience in every aspect of their lives--in relationships with their fellow seniors, with that boyfriend or girlfriend, with the honor they show their parents, with the school work and classroom behavior that is asked of them. Unless my love for Him is reflected in all those areas, then it's not love at all. What it is is selective self-worship. I'll love Him in those areas I want to; but, the rest of my life belongs to me. That's a subtle form of idolatry. Such a one is not in love with Jesus; he or she is still in love with themselves.
It's so easy--maybe not the right word--to tell ourselves we've done enough. We've been faithful, we've been diligent, we've nothing left to do that matters. But His glory always matters. And my love for Him should permeate every aspect of my life. For my seniors they have to realize that they need to love Him through obedience in every aspect of their lives--in relationships with their fellow seniors, with that boyfriend or girlfriend, with the honor they show their parents, with the school work and classroom behavior that is asked of them. Unless my love for Him is reflected in all those areas, then it's not love at all. What it is is selective self-worship. I'll love Him in those areas I want to; but, the rest of my life belongs to me. That's a subtle form of idolatry. Such a one is not in love with Jesus; he or she is still in love with themselves.
For this senior my struggle to finish strong is self-serving as well. "I've been faithful do I have to lose more things that I love? I've been faithful do I have to endure a painful dying. I've been faithful, do I have to go Home with unanswered prayers concerning those I love. I've been faithful do I . . .
The solution is always the same. Continued obedience no matter what. Continued love for Him no matter what. Continued desire to have my understanding of His promises made real knowledge--experiential knowledge. Is having a relationship with the God of my salvation enough? Is resting on His promises of strength and joy and loyal love for me enough? Is my confidence in His wisdom and His will for me enough? Is He able to use me--use my loving obedience and submission to His will--to glorify Him in every circumstance?
If the answer is "yes." "Yes." "Yes." Yes"--then this is what I've found to be true--He is even a more awesome God than I knew Him to be before. And I can sense His loyal love for me at depths I never imagined to be possible before. May the song of my life to the end--to the finish--be by the Spirit's power and affirmation "To Jesus every day I find my heart is closer drawn. He's brighter than the glory of the gold and purple dawn. He's all my fancy pictures and its fairest dreams and more. Each day He grows still sweeter than He was the day before."
Fight the good fight. Finish strong. Rest in His unchanging promises. Submit to His will in every aspect of your life through loving obedience and joyful thanksgiving. And you will find in the latest challenge to finish strong--and in the last challenge to finish strong--that you serve an awesome God.
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