October 20, 2020
2 Timothy 4:7 NIV says: "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."
There are two images in this verse that should remind us of how we should live The first image is that of a fighter, and it portrays for me a soldier.
A soldier always knows who his enemies are and what his mission is, wasting no time to fight his allies. He always has the victory in mind, knowing that there may be sacrifice involved in order to win. He knows he is under authority, taking and obeying orders.
The second image is that of a runner in a race. No one ever races without proper training. In order to train properly, an athlete has to sacrifice his time and pleasures, and fully dedicate himself to winning. There may be disappointment if a race is lost, but learning comes along with losing, and after more rigorous training, victory is inevitable.
Both images have two things in common: sacrifice and faith. Without the faith that one will come out victorious as a result of sacrifice, an athlete trains in vain, and soldiers die in vain. However, when one knows that the end is not only promising but also rewarding, it makes sense to suffer the hardships leading to that culminant point.
Our lives as followers of Christ are similar to the lives of an athlete o soldier. While we are promised the victory, we are never promised comfort other than that which comes from the Holy Spirit. In order to experience a victorious Christian life, we have to know who our enemy is, be fully equipped for battle and know that the One leading the army does not know how to lose. When we trust and obey our Commander, victory is guaranteed, and at the end we will be able to say like Apostle Paul:. "I have fought the good fight...I have kept the faith."
2 Timothy 4:7 NIV says: "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."
There are two images in this verse that should remind us of how we should live The first image is that of a fighter, and it portrays for me a soldier.
A soldier always knows who his enemies are and what his mission is, wasting no time to fight his allies. He always has the victory in mind, knowing that there may be sacrifice involved in order to win. He knows he is under authority, taking and obeying orders.
The second image is that of a runner in a race. No one ever races without proper training. In order to train properly, an athlete has to sacrifice his time and pleasures, and fully dedicate himself to winning. There may be disappointment if a race is lost, but learning comes along with losing, and after more rigorous training, victory is inevitable.
Both images have two things in common: sacrifice and faith. Without the faith that one will come out victorious as a result of sacrifice, an athlete trains in vain, and soldiers die in vain. However, when one knows that the end is not only promising but also rewarding, it makes sense to suffer the hardships leading to that culminant point.
Our lives as followers of Christ are similar to the lives of an athlete o soldier. While we are promised the victory, we are never promised comfort other than that which comes from the Holy Spirit. In order to experience a victorious Christian life, we have to know who our enemy is, be fully equipped for battle and know that the One leading the army does not know how to lose. When we trust and obey our Commander, victory is guaranteed, and at the end we will be able to say like Apostle Paul:. "I have fought the good fight...I have kept the faith."