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"Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing."
(2 Timothy 4:8)
I am a bit eccentric, but I really do enjoy running marathons and triathlons. I know, why would anyone want to put his body through such pain? True, it is very painful, but the rewards are greater than the pain. The primary reward for me is finishing a race. I have yet to win a race, but that is okay; my aim is not to win, but to finish and finish well. Every race that I have ever run, as best I can recall, I have sprinted through the finish line. There is just something meaningful in finishing strong.
How can you and I stay in the game, fulfill our calling from Christ, serve well, and finish well? I have some practical help I want to share from my heart to yours. But first hear this carefully: if you have a relationship with God through Christ Jesus, His Son, then He has you! You can trust in God's sovereign plan for your life. Where you are right now, if you are seeking the Lord and desire to please Him, then you are where you are supposed to be. Proverbs 19:21 says, "There are many plans in a man's heart, Nevertheless the Lord's counsel—that will stand." Proverbs 20:24 says, "A man's steps are of the Lord; How then can a man understand his own way?" God is truly sovereign in our steps and in our stops. When we walk with Him and serve Him with a pure heart, He will make our paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6 is still in the Bible!
Here are some practical ways that we can stay fresh and finish strong in our walks with God, our marriages, and our ministries:
- Spend time with Jesus every single day in Scripture reading. Make the commitment to simply not miss a day. The Devil takes no days off. I hope you don't accuse me of being legalistic or too strict, but even on mission trips or vacations, although you may not have as much time as usual to read the Bible, please just do it. Read the Bible first, simply for your soul, not for a lesson plan, a counseling session, or a sermon. That comes later, but for now, read for the blessing of your own soul. The first thing I do every morning is read the Bible. I read a chapter in the book of Proverbs, and then I pick up where I left off reading the Bible straight through. (Currently I am reading the Book of Exodus.) I love God's Word. It is life and health. Proverbs 3:8 states, "It will be health to your flesh, and strength to your bones."
- Pray, pray, and pray some more. Talk to God about everything. I spend time in prayer and Bible reading every morning. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, I also have an extended prayer time where I go through multiple prayer requests written down and then I write in my journal. I am not saying this is what you should do, but this works well for me, and I love this time with Jesus in the mornings.
- Love your spouse by serving him or her. Peter Scazzero writes about ministering out of our marriage relationships or out of our singleness if we are not married. For us men who are married, listen up: no wife ever shot a man while he was doing the dishes! Spend time with your spouse, serve them, help them, and in so doing, you will build a healthy marriage.
- Fill your four tanks each day: physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. Physically: rest, exercise, and eat well. Mentally: rest your mind. Pastor Ray Johnston says in his book, Hope Quotient, be careful whom you listen to, and avoid these five toxic hope killers: bitterness, worry, looking back / comparing, guilt, and past failures. Think good thoughts, replace negative thoughts with the Word of God. Philippians 4:8 instructs us to meditate on that which his good. Don't let issues simmer or seethe; deal with conflict prayerfully and promptly. Emotionally: give your emotions a rest, unplug from social media, get in a place that is quiet, and allow your soul to breathe. Spiritually: enjoy your relationship with God; talk to Him throughout the day, and pray back to Him the Scriptures that you read in the morning.
- Rest. Observe a Sabbath day, unplug, find a rhythm of rest, and be blessed. Jesus said in Mark 2:27, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath." I have been taking Saturdays off lately and really trying to rest, and it has been such a blessing for me!
I want you to be in a good place and not just survive but thrive! I hope these practical pointers will assist you in living a healthy and blessed life.
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