“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7).
Starting things is easy. Finishing things is hard.
Starting is exciting. Nearing the end is exciting. It’s the in-between part that is so dang hard.
How many diets, exercise regimen, books, programs have we started? How many have we finished?
The problem is the middle part. The middle part is dreadfully boring. It’s wearisome. It’s tiring. It gets to be so routine. So, what are we to do in the middle part? That’s where almost every one of us finds ourselves in the journey of faith. What do we do in the middle part?
We all want to finish well. We want to be able to say, like the Apostle Paul, “I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I have kept the faith.”
There are two perspectives needed to do this:
- When things get hard, boring, wearisome, tiring, remember why you got started. Remember what your life was like before you got started. Remember the motivation, the hopes, the longings that made you start to begin with.
- Secondly, when things get hard, remember the ending. Remember what awaits you. Remember why you’re doing what you’re doing. Choose what you want most over what you want now. Remember how you want your life story to end.
It is these two perspectives that will help you to keep on keeping on in the middle part of your faith journey.
- Remember why you started
- Remember how you want your life story to end
Keep at it. There is no other life than the life of a disciple that is worth living.
Praxis: Faith in Action 