What Do You See When You Look Back?

By Gobel Brockman


     "For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." - 2 Timothy 4:6-7

     I'm sure I'm not alone in saying this, but I'm finding that the older I get the more "nostalgic" I become. I find myself looking back often on my life - both the good times and the bad. As I look back, I can see both my own weakness and God's strength. I remember both my failures and His faithfulness. I have my regrets, but I've also received His restoration. God has indeed blessed me beyond measure. We see in the Scripture quoted above that as the apostle Paul reached the end of his life, he looked back with a deep sense of accomplishment. I want to look at his closing thoughts as he reviewed his life of ministry:

     "I have fought a good fight"
Paul's life as a Christian was a continual struggle. He constantly endured physical threats and attacks. He suffered much for his calling, and through it all he remained faithful to the Lord. As a result, he was able to look back on his life and say that he faithfully "fought a good fight." His enemies may have harmed his body, but they didn't silence his voice.

     "I have finished the race"
It has been said often that life isn't a sprint, it's a marathon. Marathons are much longer and much more physically demanding, and they also require a great sense of commitment to reach the finish line. There are many stories and videos of marathon runners who knew they were not going to win the race, but were still committed to finishing it. Holding their sides and limping in pain, and with no thoughts of winning any prize, they still crossed the finish line. Paul said he finished the race, and I look at that as his commitment that he wasn't going to stop - no matter how difficult the race became.

     "I have kept the faith"
Hebrews 11:1 defines faith as "the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." In other words, faith is a firm belief in something you can't see. When Paul said, "I have kept the faith" he was saying that he didn't lose sight of what he couldn't see. There are times as Christians when God's presence is obvious in our lives, but there are also times when it may seem that God is nowhere to be found. In those times, do we still believe that God is not only with us, but for us? Paul could say that he did believe that. Can we say the same? 

     I have no idea how many days I have left on this earth, but I do know that every day brings me one day closer to my last day. As that day gets closer, will I be able to say with Paul, "I have fought a good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith?" Will you? If not, the good news is that's it's not too late to join the fight, enter the race, and keep the faith. There is salvation in Jesus and power in the Holy Spirit to enable us to live a victorious, overcoming life. 

     Let's take advantage of it while we can.