I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. (2 Timothy 4:7)
Second Timothy is Paul’s last letter before being martyred. Chapter 4, verse 7 is often quoted as an affirmation of his unwavering faith and unyielding love for the gospel of Jesus Christ.
As Paul wrote Second Timothy, he knew that his death was near but he had no regrets. After Jesus took control of his life, he lived to the fullest; fulfilling all that Jesus had charged and empowered him to do. Paul knew his God-breathed purpose and his goal was to live it daily.
When you think about Paul’s life, once he became a Christian, it was not an easy one. In 2 Corinthians 11:16-32, he gave a sampling of some of his adversities as a missionary. He compared his experiences with those of some of the other apostles and said that he:
- Worked much harder.
- Was in prison more frequently.
- Was flogged more severely.
- Had been exposed to death again and again (five times he received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one, three times was beaten with rods, once he was pelted with stones).
- Was shipwrecked three times, spending a night and a day in the open sea.
- Had been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from his fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers.
- Had labored and toiled and had often gone without sleep.
- Had known hunger and thirst and had often gone without food
- Had been cold and naked.
- Had to escape arrest by the governor of Damascus, by being lowered in a basket from a window in the wall.
And, he concluded in 2 Corinthians 11:28, “Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.”
Paul was subjected to more than you and I can probably comprehend, but this much is clear: he finished the work God had given him to do. Chances are you won’t have to experience anything like Paul did in living your purpose. But, one day you will stand before God and be required to answer this question, “What did you do with the gifts I gave you?”
My former marketing coach, Ashley Dixon, once shared this quote with our group: “We have passion and a drive to fight and when you combine those two together with the talents that God has blessed us with, we become unstoppable!” Paul was unstoppable. He had a mission and he fought every day to carry out that mission.
How much fight do you have when it comes to using your gifts in pursuit of your purpose and calling?
