“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. From now on there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but to all who crave His appearing.” (2 Timothy 4:7-8 BSB)
“Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:12-14 NKJV)
“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15 KJV)
Setting goals, planning, and establishing priorities has always been easy for me. However, following through and executing has been a far tougher thing for me to do. I have found that life is full of challenges and distractions. It is amazing to me just how easy it is to get off course in just about anything that I set out to do. That is why I have found it critical to rely on help from the Supreme Guide and His Guide Book.
Reading the Bible is the best way that I know of to figure out what really matters in life. There are so many things that can catch my eye and keep me away from the things that are of greatest value. For example, time with family and friends far outweigh the need to invest abundant hours in chasing the almighty dollar. Establishing godly parameters for my daily activities based on the Word keeps me on track.
I have also found that daily conversations with the Author of the Bible helps me to understand what I am reading and how to execute on it. Good intentions alone don’t get the job done. I need help in making sure I follow through. I have found that living with the end in mind gives me the ability to order my days in such a way that they have eternal value. I wish I could say that I do this perfectly, but I am still a work in progress.
I will only live once, and when it is time to leave this Earth the only things that will matter are the things that I have done that have eternal value in the Kingdom of Heaven. I have heard it said that there is a reason you don’t see U-hauls at funerals (you can’t take it with you). I have never heard anyone at the end of their life say, “I wish I had spent more time working and less time with family,” but the opposite sadly is very commonly said.
I examine my daily activities regularly to see if how I spend my time and energy is getting me closer to receiving the prize and setting me up to one day hear “well done my good and faithful servant.” I want to run this race well and finish the course successfully.
That is why I listen to…
…Eric’s Life Lesson # 21: “Keep your eye on the prize and your nose in the Book.”