George Whitefield was a man like Paul who ran the Christian race and finished by sprinting, not limping, into the arms of Jesus at death. He is one of my favorite figures in history. He preached to crowds of up to 20,000 people during the First Great Awakening in the 1740s here in our country. In Pennsylvania, the crowds were so large that they constructed a building so the people could hear him. This structure later became the University of Pennsylvania. Benjamin Franklin loved to hear Whitefield preach. On the night that he died, he preached by candlelight to a group of people who came to where he was staying so they could hear him preach one more time. What a way to go to heaven! Preach Jesus, and then go see Him!
If we are to finish our races well like Paul, Whitefield, and a host of other godly men and women, then we will need this same dogged determination that all faithful servants of Christ possess. Paul said,
"none of these things move me." He had experienced a tremendous amount of persecution and hostility from both Jews and Gentiles. When you read the accounts of his missionary journeys in the Book of Acts, you notice how he was beaten, falsely accused, and even had plots to kill him. But he was not shaken by these things. He was sold out to Christ and knew that his life was in the Lord's hands, and nothing could stop him until it was time for Jesus to call him home.
Paul also said that he did not count his life dear to himself. Can I just say, this is very convicting to me! Personally (and perhaps you can relate with me), I am way too interested in self-preservation. If we are overly occupied with self, then we are not available to do the Lord's work and are hamstrung in our attempts to finish the Christian life well. The world shouts at us to look out for number one, get ahead, and look for ways to promote and advance ourselves, but all this is contrary to living a life completely yielded to Christ.
James Calvert was a 19th century Wesleyan Methodist missionary to Fiji. He was warned about going there, but like Paul, he was determined to go, even if it meant that he would suffer. In fact, the boat captain told him, "You will lose your life and the lives of those with you if you go among such savages." But Calvert said something that is very powerful, helpful, and convicting for us as we make our journey to finish our race. He said, "We died before we came." (See Hughes,
The Church Afire, p. 278, and
here)
How moved or affected are you by the trials of this life? Are the burdens you carry preventing you from walking victoriously with Jesus? Lay those burdens down; give them to our Lord. He never intended for you to carry it. It is too heavy for you but not for Him. Are you too preoccupied with looking out for yourself? Do you count your life dear to you, or do you daily surrender your will to God's will? If you and I are to walk in victory with our Lord and finish this journey of faith well, then we are going to have to allow God to fight and win our battles and die daily to self.
Dear God, I pray for those reading today's devotion that you would strengthen them in their innermost being. Help them to lean completely on You, Jesus, and not on their own understanding. Help them fight the good fight of faith, knowing that victory is guaranteed for them if they are totally reliant upon You. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
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