I Have Fought The Good Fight
SCRIPTURE: 2 Timothy 4:1-8 
Read the passage
BIO: My name is Alan Kolar; I have been a member of FPCO since 2003 and currently have the honor of serving as an Elder. My wife, Jenie, grew up at FPCO and we were married at the Church in 1997 by Dr. Edington. We have three wonderful children- Clayton (10), Sara (8) and Mary Caroline (5).
KEY VERSE: 2 Timothy 4:7 "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."
CENTRAL TRUTH: As Christians we are called to persevere, complete the journey we started when we accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior and remain faithful to God.
DEVOTIONAL: I Have Fought The Good Fight
On May 10, 1996 nine climbers from four expeditions perished near the summit of Mt. Everest. Jon Krakauer, Ed Viesturs and other eyewitnesses attributed the tragedy to several factors, including the lack of oxygen near the summit that led to poor decision making; the horde of people on the mountain that day which slowed the ascent; and, a rogue storm which reduced visibility and drained the climbers’ energy. But perhaps the most subtle and critical origin of the catastrophe was the climbers’ passion to reach their destination at the top of the world. Without realizing it, they had lost sight of the journey they were on and the reward for completing it- life.
Most of us will never face the physical perils involved in hiking an 8,000 meter peak. As Christians, however, we face equally daunting challenges and dangerous distractions in our quest to complete our faithful journey here on earth. To help us along the way we have the Gospel as a map and the Apostle Paul as a guide.
In the passage, Paul’s situation is grim. He is imprisoned in Rome, his ministry is at an end, his friends have abandoned him and he is facing imminent death: (2 Tim 4:6) "For I am already being poured out like a drink offering and the time for my departure is near." Despite the insurmountable obstacles in his path, Paul focuses on finishing his journey- and finishing it well. He uses his last remaining time on earth to encourage Timothy in his ministry in Ephesus to "be prepared in season and out of season", to "endure hardships" and "to do the work of an evangelist" (2 Tim 4:2-5 adapted).
It is also instructive to note that Paul says "I have finished the race" and not "I have won the race". Despite the many summits he mounted during his ministry on earth, Paul did not claim victory for himself. He did not let his own success, and failures, distract him from his journey. His focus was on remaining faithful to God, his ministry and preaching the Gospel.
Finally, Paul reminds us that God rewards those who have been faithful. There is a great expectation of eternal life at the completion of our journey: (2 Tim 4:8) "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."
QUESTION 1: Are you faithful to God in all aspects of your life?
QUESTION 2: Are you too focused on momentary destinations rather than completing your journey?
QUESTION 3: Are you prepared to overcome the obstacles in your path, finish well and be able to join Paul in saying "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith"?
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