You're Almost There!

2 Timothy 4:7

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

There are times when we all want to give up in the midst of battle, in the middle of a ballgame, or in the strain of ministry. I remember there was a boxer who was getting beat so bad that the referee had to stop the fight. He didn't stop it because the fighter didn't have a chance to win. He stopped it because he had a mental meltdown, started crying and refused to fight back. The enemy wants nothing more than for us to have a mental meltdown and not fight back.

In spiritual warfare, it's the enemies job to make us feel like we are defeated when the fact is we still have some fight left in us.

1. Paul said, "I have fought the good fight." There were so many things Paul was fighting against to preach the gospel to the Gentiles: opposition from traditional people, opposition from haters, sickness, betrayal, loneliness, but Paul kept his eyes on the prize and kept on fighting. What keeps you fighting is what you keep your eyes on.

2. I have finished the race. He didn't say, "I won the race." he said, "I finished." this is an endurance race. I saw a young lady training to swim across the ocean. Her daddy trained her for six hours a day pushing her to near exhaustion, swimming against ocean currents to strengthen her legs, holding her under water to simulate the pressure of a free dive. Her daddy did this because he wanted her strong enough to finish.

Adversity is not always from the enemy, sometimes, it's your Father making you stronger so you will finish.

3. I have kept the faith in all that we go through, sometimes, it makes us feel like losing our faith. Instead, we must hold all the more. Don't lose your faith use your faith.

Dear God,

I'm holding on and I won't let go of your hand. Help me to finish strong and to fight the good fight of faith. I'm almost there and I refuse to give up.

In Jesus Name,

Amen