2 Timothy 4:7
I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:

This is what Paul had set out to do from the very beginning.  Once he had enlisted in the Lord’s army, there was no chance he would desert.  Once he started that race, there was no stopping short of the finish line.  Once he believed on Christ, he trusted Jesus for the rest of his life and relied upon Him with a steadfast faith.  There was no stopping him from doing what God had given him to do, and he gave his entire life to fulfilling that purpose.  He had done all he could.  He went the whole way.  And in the end, his faith in Christ was intact.

Can we say the same thing ourselves?  When we are nearing our own end, will we be able to honestly say we’ve fought a good fight, that we’ve labored for our Master, promoted His cause, stood up for Him in the face of rejection and persecution, and done all that we could?  Can we say we’ve followed His path for us all the way to the end, never wavering or giving up, but always putting one foot in front of the other in our service to Him?  Can we say that we have not only remained faithful, but that we have trusted our Lord completely all along the way?  Will we come to the end knowing we’ve left nothing undone?

The good news is, though, that while we’re still alive, we have a chance to commit ourselves to the cause of Christ, to dedicate the time we have left to Him and to go forward into His calling for our lives with humility and enthusiasm.  Let’s not sit on the sideline, but get into the fight.  Let’s not just watch others run toward the prize, but be part of the race.  Let’s not abandon the cause, but keep our faith steadfast and enduring in Christ until the very end.  Let’s not give up and let’s not quit no matter the obstacles, but go, like Jesus and even like Paul, to our appointed end.

Paul is a great example of living a life of faithful service to the Lord.  He could come to this point near the end of his life satisfied that he’d given all he had for Jesus.  May we seek to live in such a way that we can do the same.  There is no more worthy cause, no higher calling than to dedicate all we have and all we are to Jesus Christ.  So let’s endure to the end for His sake and for His glory.