Our Final Epitaph?

“I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:” (2Ti 4:7 AV)

 Here is the epitaph every preacher wants on his tombstone.  To be able to make this statement is quite something.  To be part of the eternal word of God is something else.  Paul is an incredible person.  He was saved from a very religious background.  Whatever his belief, zeal was not a problem.  He was just as full of zeal when he persecuted the saints before his conversion as he was after he was knocked off his horse.  Paul was a man of zeal.  When he committed, he did so with everything he was.  He didn’t do anything halfway.  When he fought, he put everything in.  In fact, Paul tells us,  “But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.” (1Co 9:27 AV)  Paul has a level of self-discipline and sacrifice that few have or will ever know.  When he makes the statement above, he does so with the fullest conviction that he tried his hardest.  He may have made mistakes, like going to Jerusalem, but his mistakes are few and far between.  No one can dispute his zeal.  He had that right up to the end.

Finishing is under-rated.  Finishing well, even more so.  How we end is just as much a factor as to how we start.  Most start out well.  But we get tired out.  We get burnt out.  We fight one too many battles.  We look forward to retirement.  We back off allowing others with more energy to take the initiative.  We have it in our minds there is a time to slow down to a trickle when we could do so much more.  Our Apostle went out with his foot on the gas.  He could look back at his ministry and sleep, knowing he had done all that he could.  We know Paul was not perfect.  There probably were missed opportunities.  He probably failed to speak to someone when he should have.  But his overall pattern of life was to do the work of an evangelist.  He spoke more than he remained silent.  He allowed the light of the glorious gospel to speak loudly through his life.  When placed before kings and princes, he did open his mouth.  He did testify of the grace of God which appeared to all men.  Paul did not make an excuse.  Seldom were the times when he was asked to dial it back a bit.  He knew this life was temporary and he only had so much opportunity to represent the kingdom of God to men.  Paul was able to declare his epitaph because it was the truth.  When I read Paul’s words, I ask myself, is that something I will be able to say at the close of my life?  What will mark my final days?  Will I see the face of my Savior with a clear conscience, knowing that no matter what ills came my way, I did all that I could do for the kingdom of God?  What is there left to do?  I am content with the status quo, or do I still dream of the possibilities that lie ahead?  Have a grown too weary to be of any good to the gospel call?  Will I finish with as much commitment as I started?  Will I see a ministry heading uphill rather than downhill?  Can I repeat the words of Paul with a clear conscience?

But what if we have not served as Paul served?  What if we did not do all we could have with opportunities of the past?  What if we were too timid or too lazy?  Can we make up for it?  Absolutely!  There is still time to make full proof of one’s ministry.  We can overcome our faults.  By the power of the One who dwells within me, I can have an impact in the place where God has planted me.  There are souls all around us.  All we have to be willing to do is to finish well.  Maybe there are things we should have done in years gone by.  But we don’t have to compound the fault by neglect today.  Perhaps there were missed opportunities in the past, but there are open doors today.  Yesterday may be gone, but tomorrow has not come.  As long as there is breath in our lungs, there is more than enough opportunity to make up for lost days, months, or years.  So, do we give up on the hope of repeating this verse at the close of our days?  Never.  The fight is measured by how it ends.  Not how it is going.  So, get back up and that horse and recommit to charging the enemy.  Do it in such a way that Paul’s life verse can be yours, too.