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How to Finish Well
We sing the song, “I have decided to follow Jesus, no turning back,” but why is it that so many people do? Here are seven crucial characteristics that will help you to finish well.
1. Intimacy with Christ
Our highest calling is to grow in our knowledge of Christ and to make
Him known to others. Does our desire to know Christ exceed all other
aspirations? If not, whatever is taking His place in the center of our
affections must yield to Him if we are to know the joy of bearing
spiritual fruit. A key secret of those who finish well is to focus more
on loving Jesus than on avoiding sin.
2. Fidelity in the Spiritual Disciplines
Spiritual disciplines such as prayer, fellowship, study, worship, and
submission are not ends in themselves, but means to the end of intimacy
with Christ and spiritual formation. When left to itself, however, any
one of these disciplines tends to decline and decay. An infusion of
directed intentionality and effort is necessary to sustain order and
growth and to bring repeated times of personal renewal.
3. A Biblical Perspective on the Circumstances of Life
Part of the purpose of our suffering and trials is to drive us to
dependence on God alone. God responds by revealing more of Himself to
us. This knowledge increases our faith and our capacity to trust His
character and His promises through the times we do not understand His
purposes and His ways. When we view our circumstances in light of God’s
character instead of God’s character in light of our circumstances, we
come to see that God is never indifferent to us, and that He uses
suffering for our good so we will be more fully united to Christ.
4. A Teachable, Humble, and Obedient Spirit
Those who finish well maintain an ongoing learning posture through the
seasons of their lives. Humility and responsive obedience are the keys
to maintaining a teachable spirit. Humility is the disposition in which
we displace self through the enthronement of Christ in our lives and
realize that all of life is about trust in God.
5. A Clear Sense of Personal Purpose
God has called each of us to a purposeful journey sustained by
faithfulness and growing hope. This calling transcends our
occupations and endures beyond the end of our careers. As we seek the
Lord’s guidance in developing a personal vision and clarity of mission,
we move beyond the level of tasks and accomplishments to the level of
the purpose for which we were created.
6. Relationships with Resourceful People
Relationships such as spiritual mentoring, servant leadership, and
personal and group accountability are valuable resources that
encourage, equip, and exhort. People who finish well do not do so
without the caring support of other growing members of the body of
Christ. These relationships help us to develop the things described in
points one through five.
7. Investment in the Lives of Others
Spirit-filled living requires us to discover and develop the spiritual
gifts we have received and exercise them through the Spirit’s power for
the edification of others. Believers who finish well are marked by
ongoing outreach and sacrificial ministry for the good of other people.
What does it take to
finish well? How can we run in such a way that we can say with Paul, “I
have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the
faith” (2 Timothy 4:7; Acts 20:24; 1 Corinthians 9:24-27)? Taking to
heart the above seven characteristics will help you finish well day by
day, as you “run with endurance the race that is set before [you]”
(Hebrews 12:1).
By Kenneth Boa. Ken is president of Reflections Ministries and the author of Living What You Believe, Pursuing Wisdom, and The Art of Living Well (www.navpress.com).
