Fight the Good Fight

 

     It is so easy to push God to the bottom of the schedule, to mouth a forlorn, tired prayer as we fall asleep. We rarely acknowledge His existence in our day-to-day routines. We read the newspaper or watch TV more than look to the word of God. Adding a time to spend with God takes devotion and discipline, putting God first takes practice.

     Let’s practice talking to Him throughout the day, feeling His presence around us, asking for His guidance in our decisions, looking for His answers rather than our own, placing our trust in our relationship with Him more than our relationships with others. Practice makes perfect!

     The apostle Paul uses sports analogies throughout his epistles, such as being persistent, persevering through tough times as we run the race of faith. As he writes from prison, knowing his time on earth is coming to an end, he encourages Timothy and you and me. He has run the race God had planned for him. He is about to receive the prize of salvation, eternity with Jesus.

I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I have kept the faith. 2 Timothy 4:7

     His instructions to his son in the faith, Timothy,, are filled with encouraging reminders for us to keep going, to keep the faith, to endure and persevere. One day soon we will receive the crown of righteousness.

Father,

Keep us faith-filled, running the race You have set before us as we get closer and closer to heaven. The end of this life is just the beginning of our everlasting hope.

In Jesus name,

Amen