We’ve been using the summer to reflect on how Jesus’ resurrection transforms our lives and what we need to do to enjoy His fullness of life. As we focused last week on understanding life’s purpose, today we are called to persevere to finish well:

IN WORD The Christian life is never casual. It has casual moments, of course, and it can be full of joy and lightheartedness. But it can never be approached as a casual matter. The stakes are too high. Nothing that involves the Kingdom of God is insignificant. Even so, our lives often seem rambling and reactive. We’re just trying to get by, much less win a prize in the process. We feel more like we’re running on a treadmill than in a medal competition. The rat race is all too familiar, and it never offers a prize. Paul urges his readers, through his own example, to run with purpose.
Christians are to have a goal and to train for it, never randomly or aimlessly, but always pointed toward the finish line. The crown that waits for us is not perishable like the one a marathoner might receive. It’s imperishable, eternal, and more glorious than we can imagine. If today’s athletes religiously pursue gold medals and world records, sacrificing years of their lives just for the temporary honors, why wouldn’t we demonstrate such zeal for more lasting prizes? What is it about their motivation that gets them going so much more persistently and passionately than us? Why do the visible treasures of this world often weigh more to us than the invisible treasures of the Kingdom?
IN DEED Go into training. Pray for God to guide you, and then plan out your goals under His guidance. Ask Him what He wants you to accomplish in life, and then train yourself to reach for it. It will involve discipline and perseverance, but much of life does. We learn such things for mundane purposes, so we should be able to practice them for eternal purposes. Always press toward the finish line; a prize awaits, and it is glorious. It is enough to keep us running passionately, persistently, and purposefully for a very long time. “What is needed is not mere present professions, but perseverance to the end in the power of faith.” —Ignatius of Antioch (in “God With Us” by Chris Tiegreen)

Many Christians start strong with “mountaintop” experiences of youth, but often by the time they become entrenched in their careers, their relationship with Christ must compete for time and attention. It is very easy for faith to become a side dish of life.
In A Long Obedience in the Same Direction, Eugene Peterson reminds us that the Christian life requires persistence because it is so easy for the world to lead us astray. If we are not actively walking with Jesus daily, someone or something else will inevitably pull us away from Him.
As we end the summer, having had a few months of devotions of reflecting on our life with Jesus, where are you in your walk with Jesus? As life becomes busier again as we enter the fall, will you be able to sustain your passion to follow Him? Consider picking up Peterson’s book for the fall and use Psalms 120 – 134 to help you develop a life of perseverance. Develop a lifestyle that will enable you to finish life’s journey well, set in God’s will. Have a blessed week! - from Singapore, Pastor Sam