"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." II Timothy 4:7 NIV
The first time I heard this oft-told story, it was rendered by Wayne Grubbs, pastor at Lakeview Baptist Church in Oxford, Alabama. The story goes something like this: Near the end of the sermon about heaven, the pastor said to the congregation, “How many of you want to go heaven?” Everyone in the church raised their hand except for one little boy on the front row. The pastor turned toward the boy and asked, “Son, don’t you want to go to heaven?” And the little boy replied, “Yes sir! When I die. But I thought you were getting’ up a trip right now.”
Maybe some of us feel like we are getting ready for this trip in the near future, but most of us are probably under the illusion that the end is a long ways away. No matter our age, we need to be ready to cross the finish line by keeping the faith.
What are the things you want to accomplish before crossing the finish line? I recently celebrated my 51st birthday. Coincidentally, on my birthday, I shared a eulogy for one of our beloved senior saints who went home to be with the Lord. To my knowledge, this is the first time I have conducted a funeral on my birthday. The strange juxtaposition of these two events, birthday and funeral, inspired me to think a little more seriously about my own “kingdom bucket list.” What are the things God wants to do through my life between now and the time I cross the finish line?
Thomas Jefferson wisely said, “Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today.” How would life be different if you transformed your good intentions into actions? I think we all have a few things we need to accomplish before we cross the finish line. What kinds of things do you need to do?
• Go where you need to go: Go on that mission trip. Take that vacation. Visit that long-time friend.
• Do what needs to be done: Get acquainted with your neighbor. Volunteer for that service project. Share your faith with a colleague or classmate.
• Say what needs to be said: Tell your family members that you love them. Share that memorable story with your children or your grandchildren. Forgive the one who has offended you.
• Give what needs to be given: Honor the Lord with all of your resources and give a first portion to the work of your local church. Pass along that family heirloom to the next generation. Invest in the future by leaving a legacy gift to an important ministry project or a cause that will keep on giving long after you are gone.
• Plan what needs to be planned: Develop your exit strategy. Have your paperwork (advanced directive, will, life insurance, power of attorney, etc) in good order. Leave behind your memorial wishes with your family.
James reminds us that life is “a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away” (4:14 NKJV). Since life is unpredictable and life on this earth will end for every one of us one day, I am convinced that the best way to prepare for death is to live life to the maximum. For me, that means, in addition to trusting Christ as my Savior, I am privileged to follow Christ every step of the journey…. serving, growing, and doing what needs to be done, until I cross the finish line.
I hope to celebrate a lot more birthdays. But someday someone will share a eulogy for me. Since I don’t know when that day will come, I want to make everyday count, because I have a lot of living to do before I cross the finish line.
(Barry Howard serves as senior minister of the First Baptist Church of Pensacola.)
