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"But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God."
(Acts 20:24)
I love this verse! It has so much passion and determination in it, and it is such a motivation to us today to complete our race for Christ, come what may.
Paul was not moved or deterred; the future sufferings he would have to endure did not dissuade him. He would remain unmoved and steadfast on his journey. One writer describing Paul said, "Life on earth was no longer a real concern except as it related to the completion of his mission." (Holy Bible—Baptist Study Edition, p. 1580)
Yesterday, I wrote about Paul not counting his life dear to himself. Let us revisit that profound statement by Paul a little more. Self-preservation was not a concern to Paul. We often view events or opportunities through the lens of self—how will this impact me, help me, advance me, etc.—but not Paul; he did not think about himself, so he could complete the task Christ had given him. One New Testament scholar states, "His main concern was to fulfill the course which Christ had marked for him to run, preaching in the Spirit's power the good news of God's free grace in Christ. Life or death was not the issue that mattered: what mattered most was, as he told another church, that Christ should be magnified in his body, 'whether by life or by death.'" (F.F. Bruce, p. 390, The Book of the Acts: New International Commentary on the New Testament)
And note that Paul was determined to "finish my race with joy." His race was not some monotonous, boring, or laborious endeavor but the thrill of his soul and something he was determined to do with joy. He would finish his race with joy, and he would also finish the ministry, which he received from Christ. The word for ministry here is diakonian, from which we get the word "deacon", someone who serves, literally, someone who waits on tables. First and foremost, Paul was a servant of God, and he said he received this ministry from Christ. In Acts 9, Paul met the Lord Jesus on the Damascus Road and was changed. Christ later revealed to Ananias the ministry Paul would have. (See Acts 9:15-16.) He would not only indeed preach the good news, but he would also suffer.
Paul knew clearly what his calling was, and with all that was within him, he was determined to finish this calling on his life. Each one of us as followers of Christ has a calling that is specific and unique to us. Some have a vocational call to preach the Gospel like I do; all followers of Jesus, however, are to share Christ where they live and work. The degree to which we fulfill this call on our lives will be the degree to which we are fulfilled and blessed.
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