February 26, 2008

Number 8

VIEWPOINT

Even though we’re at the height of basketball season, I hope it's not too late to draw an observation from the recent Super Bowl.  This was written by Steve May in the Monday Memo:

Had the Patriots won, they would have been hailed as the greatest team of all time. Instead, the ’72 Dolphins remain the only undefeated world championship team.  It didn't happen this year for the Patriots; it was Eli Manning’s year instead.  But do you remember how the season began for him?  It wasn't a smooth start, to say the least.  Even several weeks into the season he was still the media's goat.  He wasn't exactly a favorite among the fans, either.

This changed with his four consecutive playoff wins; Manning will long be remembered for this year's outstanding postseason performance.  The Patriots, on the other hand, will be remembered as the team who couldn't quite go the distance -- the team who went “18 and no.”

Which brings me to my point. There's a sense in which the ministry and the Christian life are much the same as a single game or a single season or even an entire athletic career. The principle is that a strong finish is more important than a strong beginning. The Giants got off to a shaky start this year, but they finished well -- and that's what matters most in the game of football.

In the last words Paul wrote, he said, “The time of my death is near.  I have fought a good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful” (2 Tim.4:7.)   What a privilege to be

able to say this.  He had been knocked down plenty of times during the 35 years that he served Christ.  He even fell down on his own sometimes.  Most important, however, is the fact that he always got back up.  He kept moving forward, always with the aim of finishing well.

This is what really matters in the Christian life.  The occasional defeats are inevitable, especially early on.  But whether you're building a church, a ministry, or a life, your focus must remain on finishing well.  A strong finish can overcome a shaky start; a strong finish is more important than an impressive start.

Forget about how things how things were, and start moving toward how you want things to be.  It's too late to undo your rookie mistakes, but it's not too late finish well.  The season isn't over yet.

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I noticed this in another church newsletter:  “A smile costs nothing, but gives much.  It enriches those who receive, without making poorer those who give.  It takes but a moment, but the memory of it sometimes lasts forever.  None is to poor but that he can be made rich by it.

“A smile creates happiness in the home, fosters good will in business, and is the countersign of friendship.  It brings rest to the weary, cheer to the discouraged, sunshine to the sad, and it is Nature’s best antidote for trouble.

“Yet it cannot be bought, begged, borrowed, or stolen, for it is something that is of no value to anyone until it is given away.  Some people are too tired to give you a smile.  Give them one of yours, as none needs a smile so much as he who has no more to give.”

I look forward to seeing you Sunday with a Bible, a smile and a positive word!  RA

God’s Will and Your Plans

“Try to give your agenda to God.  Keep saying, ‘Your will be done, not mine.’  Give every part of your heart and your time to God and let God tell you what to do, where to go, when and how to respond.  God does not want you to destroy yourself.  Exhaustion, burnout, and depression are not signs that you are doing God’s will.  God is gentle and loving.  God desires to give you a deep sense of safety in God’s love.  Once you have allowed yourself to experience that love fully, you will be better able to discern who you are being sent to in God’s name.”   (Henri J. M. Nouwen)