When It's All Said And Done

William Wilberforce was a man who showed us what faith looks like when we allow it to permeate our superficial lives and saturate our whole selves. After finding God in 1785, Wilberforce began a journey that would last the rest of his life. He became concerned about other men -- and more to the point, about what men were doing to one another. Two years after becoming a Christian, Wilberforce met a group of anti-slavery abolitionists and found his calling. For 26 years, William fought in the British Parliament to end the atrocity of slavery until the Slave Trade Act was passed in 1807. He would continue to fight until failing health forced him to leave Parliament. Through his efforts and those of others, the Slavery Abolition Act was finally passed 26 years after the Slave Trade Act, in 1833.

On July 29, 1833 -- just three days after hearing the passage of the Abolition Act was assured, William Wilberforce died. He died never witnessing the freedom he fought for; never having seen the fruit of his life's work. For nearly fifty-two years, William fought against prevailing social wisdom, against popular opinion, against all odds, winning hearts as he went, because God had called him to do so. A month after he died, the act was passed, and slavery was abolished in England.

I don't know what was on William's mind as he passed from this life to enter God's Kingdom, but I like to think it was these words from Paul:

 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing. (2 Timothy 4:7-8)

This is the passage I want on my tombstone; my personal inspiration. It's also the question I ask myself every day. Am I fighting the good fight? Am I keeping the faith? Am I worthy of a crown of Righteousness, laid up in Heaven? And I pray every day that, whether I'll ever see while alive the fruits of my labor, when it's my time, I'll meet Jesus smiling and know He was proud of me.

Looking Backward -- and Looking Ahead

Today marks the beginning of the second half of the year. Just another six months remain of 2013. Seems like it's a good time to take stock of where we are now. For me, the new year represented a chance to recommit my life in service to God.

So how have I done in that pursuit? Have I made the effort to walk closer with Him, or have I merely paid lip service to the idea of serving Christ more? Like, I think, many of us, I fear I have to admit there were plenty of days in which I simply wasn't deliberate about acting out my faith. Days when, given the choice between finding ways to serve or doing nothing at all, I chose the couch over the mission field.

Make no mistake: serving God is a choice we make -- and it's a choice we make daily. Eventually -- maybe sooner than we think -- we will be called to account for the gifts we've been given. Like the three servants (Matthew 25:14-30), we will be asked what we did with the Talents -- the time, resources, and skills -- we were given. Did we hide what we had in a hole? Did we make a minimum investment? Or did we take the step of faith in the God who gave us those resources, and use them to further His kingdom?

When my wife sold Mary Kay cosmetics, I remember she had a couple of inspirational pictures she would look at. Goals, more or less. Things that would help her mark success as a Mary Kay consultant. The pink Cadillac SUV was one. This is a fairly common practice among those who work to achieve a goal: find a way to visualize that goal, and keep it in front of you, as a way to inspire success.

Paul suggests similar inspiration in Philippians 3: "I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. (vs 14)."

Paul's words to Timothy are my Pink Cadillac.  When I don't want to go on... when I'd rather sit in front of the TV than serve my community and my God... I have in front of me the example of Paul. He had plenty of trouble -- certainly more trouble than mere apathy -- yet, he chose daily to serve his God in such a way that, when he knew his time was coming to an end, he could look back without regret. He could look on the life he lived, and know that, when it came down to it, he had spent his life in service to God and His church.

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing. (2 Timothy 4:7-8)

Leaving Behind A Legacy

Last weekend, George Beverly Shea passed away, at the age of 104. Shea, who led worship for Billy Graham's crusades and appeared regularly on "Hour of Decision," was still singing as he rounded out his 1st century on earth and began a second. His voice and delivery popularized a great many favorite hymns, like a personal favorite, "How Great Thou Art." Shea glorified God with his life, right up until he was finally taken home.

That is a legacy!

Shea's passing can't help but bring to mind that of another great Christian artist, Rich Mullins. Unlike Shea, Mullins was killed in an accident at the age of 41, in 1997. But he, too, had built a legacy on glorifying his Savior. Mullins wrote many popular songs, like the often-sung "Awesome God," and Amy Grant's hit, "Sing Your Praise to the Lord."

These are men whose legacies live on in their music, but more importantly, in the lives they touched.

The truth is, you don't need to be famous to leave behind a legacy for the Kingdom. And, if you do as God asks, your legacy is made no greater or in anyway diminished by the presence or absence of a recording contract. What God cares about -- the legacy that will last -- is, how did you affect those around you? Did you plant seeds for the Kingdom of God? Were you somebody who loved fiercely, who chased God zealously, who gave generously of yourself?

How will you be remembered?

As for me, I know I'll never be remembered as widely as a George Beverly Shea, or a Rich Mullins. But I hope and pray, as God helps me to grow in Him, that when my time comes, I'll be remembered by those who knew me as somebody who loved God -- and through Christ, loved others -- with all my heart.

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing. (2 Timothy 4:7-8)

A New Start

It's recently occurred to me, there's nothing singularly special about a New Year. We replace our calendars. Have to start remembering to date our checks with a thirteen instead of a twelve (and if you're anything like me, you only got used to writing that number some time in October). But when it comes down to it, all the problems we had in 2012 will still be there in 2013. The bills that were stacked up on December 31 will be stacked up on January 1, and the people who sent them will still expect to be paid. No... there's nothing really significant about the date itself.

So, why is it such a big deal?

I think it must be that it represents new beginnings. A chance to start something new. Or to be renewed. Our hearts and souls long for growth, but the mind craves order. So, a new year, a new start. Day one.

So what are you doing with your new start?

At the end of each year, I look back on my life and ask: what did I do for God? Did I accomplish all He had for me to do? Did I reach somebody for Him? Did I touch a life? Could I have done more? The answers for these questions are often uncomfortable. I didn't accomplish everything. I could have done more. What, actually, did I do for God, anyway?

So, for me, a new year is about renewed commitment. It's about saying, "God, I'm sorry that, in 2012, I wasn't all You wanted me to be," and asking for His help, in 2013, to reach others in His name. It's about understanding that, eventually, I'll be out of New Years, and all I'll have to offer Him is what I did with the time I had.

So with this new year, I recommit my life to the service of the God who saved me. So that, when all is said and done, when I've come to the end of my years, new and otherwise, I can say with Paul,

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing. (2 Timothy 4:7-8)