9/24/13:

TFTD: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on the Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.”

-2 Timothy 4:7-8

If you are or have been an athlete, teacher, or have held any job that has an outcome you can all understand what Paul is talking about in this passage. Paul, who at this time is fairly old, is realizing that his time on earth here is coming to an end. He is talking to Timothy and telling him and telling others to come and visit him soon, but we see no sense of sadness or depression in his writing. Only this zeal of having been fully convicted of his faith in Jesus Christ and the knowledge that he (Paul) has fought, finished, and kept the faith. He knows that when his time comes that he has given it his all, and will be rewarded with life eternal, but not just him, everyone who has trusted and believed in Christ.

            We live in such a postmodern society that gives everyone the right to their own convictions and beliefs. These convictions that can be so contradictory but altogether true to their own believer that people can believe whatever they want and be right. Who tells us what is the right set of beliefs? Where do you get your beliefs and convictions? Mine come from a God who created everything, knows everything, and can do all things. They come from a hope of something that is eternal, because if that weren’t true what purpose would I have for being here? Why would I be needed on earth? I believe that it is because Adam, being the most awesome first human ever, was led to sin and we are still trying to redeem the world because of it. We are all put here to fight the good fight, and finish the race. I’m not saying that the race won’t suck and be extremely hard, I’m just saying it gives me a purpose and a goal in life. It causes me joy and gives me a significance that I probably wouldn’t have without it. A significance that gives me a title. The title Finisher. The title Child of God. The only title that matters. Forgiven and Redeemed!

“We can never know the profoundest joy without conviction that our life is significant”

 –Henry J. Goulding