I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."
-Paul writing his last words to "his beloved son", Timothy
If I died today, I wonder what would people would say of my life? I wonder what God would say of my life? For me, I wonder if people would remember me as a nice guy, or someone who was passionate about learning or ideas or books? Or a good beer? A great dealfinder? Financially savvy? Smart?
I think a lot of these are true of me. As I read an older man (Paul) encouraging a younger man (Tim), though, I wonder. You see, as I read it, my Spirit confirms that there's going to be a moment in my life- a moment where the only questions that will matter as I look back on my years on planet earth go something like this:
Brett, have you fought the good fight?
Brett, have you finished the race?
Brett Allen Ripley, have. you. kept. the. faith?
It's that day. My mind wants to think of this day as if it's a concept and not as an exact day on the calendar. But it is. We all have a day. There is a day on the calendar as real and concrete as our birthday where this organ in our chest beats just one more time and then stops. For you, this day could be March 11th or August 14th. Mine could be December 2nd. Though we don't know the date, He does.
It's the day where we look back on the years, the relationships, the lives we've touched, the things that we stood for. It's the day when the mystery of eternity is a door that we will walk through. It's the day when the next appointment on the calendar is with the one who made and orchestrated everything that you ever experienced up to this point. Your appointment is with Jesus. The subject? Your life.
How will you answer the questions?
The day is coming- and you know what? That day makes this day different.
Brett, have you finished the race?
Brett Allen Ripley, have. you. kept. the. faith?
It's that day. My mind wants to think of this day as if it's a concept and not as an exact day on the calendar. But it is. We all have a day. There is a day on the calendar as real and concrete as our birthday where this organ in our chest beats just one more time and then stops. For you, this day could be March 11th or August 14th. Mine could be December 2nd. Though we don't know the date, He does.
It's the day where we look back on the years, the relationships, the lives we've touched, the things that we stood for. It's the day when the mystery of eternity is a door that we will walk through. It's the day when the next appointment on the calendar is with the one who made and orchestrated everything that you ever experienced up to this point. Your appointment is with Jesus. The subject? Your life.
How will you answer the questions?
The day is coming- and you know what? That day makes this day different.
Father, there's lots going on down here. There's passions that you've put in me (lots of them). I think these are good- the will in me to learn a bunch and make a bunch of money and all these other things. Let me not squander them and get lost in them as an end in themselves. Help me to use these things as different ways to drive at the prize- Your glory through my life. I have botched this recently. Save me from me, Jesus- I will do what you want me to do and I will give it up for you because it's only on loan anyways. All Glory be to YOUR name and not mine. You are God and I am not. Have mercy on me, a sinner.
