Monday Memo 1164: Run Your Race

No one impacted the early church more than Paul—except for the Lord Jesus. In one of his last letters, Paul wrote Timothy to declare,

For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing (2 Timothy 4:6-8).

Here are some thoughts to add to this series titled "Never Too Old for Purpose."

1. Paul was being poured out like a drink offering. The drink offering always accompanied another offering and was either poured on the ground or into a fire. Either way, not a trace of the drink offering was left. Paul saw that his life had been given to the Lord's service. He was not doing the pouring, but God was in control, determining where and how Paul's last days would be invested.
2. Paul knew his end was near. Paul had a sense that his departure was imminent. There was not a succession plan to follow for he did not have an official position to delegate. He had known and stated that he had completed his purpose—there was nothing left to do. And no one really could replace the unique calling he had lived and fulfilled.
3. He had fought, finished, and kept. As in other places, Paul used athletic references to indicate how he would describe his purpose journey. He had devoted his life to his God-assigned purpose. It wasn't a hobby and didn't take second place to a career. It was the main act in his life drama and he had played his role to perfection.
4. Paul knew there was a reward in store for him. Paul had worked not for the church or for the church's leaders, but for God. He fully expected his reward to come from his "employer"—God Himself. He knew he wasn't unique or special in that regard, for anyone who "longed for [Jesus'] appearing" would receive the same reward.

Do you know what your purpose is? Are you fulfilling it? Is it a hobby or the main attraction in your life movie? Are you fighting for, running in, and preserving what God has given you to do? The beauty of Paul's life is the clarity he had of his mission and his absolute commitment to it that allowed him to run the race and finish the course. I urge you to be as focused and resolute as Paul was to that when your end is near, you can be as matter-of-fact about your purpose race, declaring yourself the winner by God's grace. Have a blessed week.