.
From
The Pastor’s Desk
.
Bishop Randy Barnett, Oklahoma
.
FINISHING
STRONG
Many
years ago during my younger days I participated in track. My two specialties
were running the sprints [short distance races] and the long jump. For a short
time I tried running the hurdles until one fateful day I crashed on a cinder
track and tore up my arms and legs – that was enough of that sport for me!
Please allow me to draw from my experience in running sprints to show a truth
from the Word of God. Actually I am using the very same technique Jesus used
throughout His earthly ministry which was to draw comparisons between natural
things that people understood and spiritual things which they did not.
God
blessed me with spring-like legs. This was a real plus in the short races like
the 100 yard dash and the 220 yard dash. Very few times could I be beaten out
of the starting blocks. I worked hard on perfecting my starting technique. The
big day came for our first track meet and I was so excited about running the 100
yard dash. I settled into the blocks and awaited the blast of the starter’s
gun. The gun fired and away I went. I could see out of the corners of my eyes
that I was all alone and leading the pack. Wow! Was I excited about the
prospects of that gold medal. I could imagine being awarded the coveted medal
and the crowds cheering. But then out of nowhere two of my competitors flashed
by me to break the tape and win the race! No! My third place bronze medal was
not good enough.
I
went to the middle of the infield and sat down on the ground, pondering what
had just happened. I ran and re-ran the tape of the race in my mind over and
over again. And each time I could see myself out front leading all the others
for about the first half of the race. It was at that point I could see the
strength of the two other runners. I was better at starting than they were;
however, the medals were not awarded to the best starter, they went to the ones
who finished first. So it is in life. So it is in the Kingdom of God.
Those
first few weeks after someone is born again are a season of great joy and
exuberance. There is such a sense of relief that you cannot help but smile and
think the best of everyone and everything around you. One of my favorite things
is to watch a new believer just after he has given his heart to Jesus. But
unfortunately I have seen too many times that within just a few months the
elation is gone, the smile is subsided, and their desire to press in to the
church and to the things of God has grown cold. This should not be.
The
problem in most cases is a failure on the part of the more mature Christians
around them to truly disciple them and take them under the wing, so to speak,
caring for them as the infants they actually are. No one would dare leave a
newborn baby to fend for himself, yet we tend to do that very thing to newborn
spiritual babies. Each of us needs a church family and a pastor along with
close friends who know Jesus and who have learned the ways of the Kingdom of
God. This “spiritual support group” [family unit] is key to not only spiritual
survival but to spiritual maturing. This is what discipling is all about. It
includes instruction, impartation, defense, encouragement, correction, and
fellowship. The process of discipling is the way Jesus designed His church to
function; therefore, it must be the way we function especially at the local
church level.
Jesus
spent a little over three years, discipling His disciples in preparation for
their commission as leaders of the Body of Christ. Perhaps there is something
for us to learn in that number of years as it relates to discipling. In my
years of experience as I have seen that it takes about three years for a new
believer to become strong spiritually and consistently fruitful. It is
important to note that it was those who really pressed in to the Lord and
applied themselves to learning and receiving that was able to mature in a short
three-year time span. These were the exceptions, sadly, the rule was far longer
if at all. Far too many Christians sit on the pew and never grow up. These are
they who do not finish strong.
Developing
into a winning track runner takes hard work. The physical conditioning is
strenuous and hard and the technique training is laborious and repetitive. But
for one who is willing to train hard, the fruits of his efforts are rewarded in
cold, hard medals. Spiritual development is a lot like this. There is nothing
easy or quick about growing up spiritually and maturing into a true man or
woman or God. Here are a few tips on how to do this:
1) Make a genuine commitment to Jesus to truly follow Him.
2) Immerse yourself in the Word of God.
3) Fellowship with God - make prayer a continual dialogue with
God.
4) Surround yourself with people who edify you spiritually.
5) Become a living, contributing member of a local church
family.
6) Sit at the feet of men and women of God who will train and
equip you for Kingdom service.
7) Remain teachable as a yielded vessel before God; one who is
easily taught.
8) Determine to think like God, talk like God, and act like
Him.
Your
life in Christ Jesus is more like a marathon than it is like a sprint. It is an
eternity-long commitment to the Lord that begins with your new birth and never
ends. Your time on earth is our subject at hand and that is what I want to
emphasize that you finish strong. Never quit growing in knowledge, in faith, in
loving others, in serving others, and in serving God. In this way you will come
to the end of your race and you will be able to say like Paul did, “I have
finished my race!”
