Acts 20:24
But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.

Paul was the epitome of dedication.  He was the kind of person who would see the task through to completion.  He would follow through on his promises.  He would be faithful.  He would get the job done.  Nothing was going to stop him from finishing what God had given him to do.  He didn’t let trials and hardships or his circumstances hold him back.  He always kept moving forward, pursuing the goal, working toward something, doing whatever he could wherever he was.  And it was a focused pursuit on doing the will of God, not accomplishing something for himself.

May we also seek to live like that in our lives.  May it be our testimony, as well, of how we served the Lord.  Let us not allow anything to stop us or scare us off.  There was nothing more joyful for Paul than to obey the Lord and see it through all the way, so let us strive for that same dedication in our service and our relationship to the Lord.  May we keep going even when it gets hard.  And let us remain faithful no matter where this journey may take us.

One important thing that drove Paul throughout his ministry was his concern for others.  Lost souls were important to him, and he desired nothing more than to see them come to faith in Christ.  And his fellow believers held a special place in his heart as he wanted them to grow and mature in their faith and pursue an ever-deepening relationship with Jesus.  And all of this sprung from his own love for Christ.  From the moment he met Jesus on that road to Damascus, he never ceased to learn of Him and labor for Him.  He truly spent himself like his Great Example out of love and devotion to his Lord.

And we can do the same thing, even if we don’t have a pedigree like Paul did or a wide-reaching influence, just by being faithful in what God has asked us to do.  He doesn’t call everyone to travel the world preaching Christ.  He doesn’t require the same things of everyone.  But He prepares a unique purpose for each of our lives and simply asks us to obey Him in it.  So let us move ahead doing what we know God wants us to do so we can finish our course with joy like Paul.