{"id":388,"date":"2023-07-30T22:31:19","date_gmt":"2023-07-31T04:31:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.melton.space\/pharisee\/?p=388"},"modified":"2026-01-22T20:03:10","modified_gmt":"2026-01-23T03:03:10","slug":"finishing-well","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/blogs.melton.space\/pharisee\/index.php\/2023\/07\/30\/finishing-well\/","title":{"rendered":"Finishing Well"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it.
1 Corinthians 9:24<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a younger man, in my late 30’s or early 40’s, I attended a men’s event at church. There were just a few of us; probably less than 20, but I still remember the exhortation of the pastor to “finish well”. He cited men like David, Solomon, Hezekiah, all of whom saw God use them powerfully for his purpose, but then just drifted. Families and kingdoms imploded as they failed to stay the course.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A little while ago, someone I care about posed a question that I interpreted along the lines of \u201cwhat is the meaning of life?\u201d I replied with \u201cwell done, good and faithful servant.\u201d What follows is adapted from the letter I wrote in response. As I\u2019ve re-read it, I\u2019m encouraged that this is a message worth hearing (and re-hearing). I hope you will find it useful as well.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As important as it is to ask about the meaning of life, it is more important how you ask, or rather how you are prepared to receive the answer. Solomon wrestled with it in the book of Ecclesiastes, and he was the wisest man to ever live.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some in the world would tell you that \u201che who dies with the most toys, wins.\u201d However, even the most cursory examination of that philosophy reveals that \u201che who dies with the most toys still dies\u201d. Chasing after things, pleasure, even \u201cenriching\u201d experiences is ultimately futile. As Solomon noted, \u201c[God] has put eternity into man\u2019s heart\u2026\u201d (Ecc 3:11<\/a>). We intrinsically know that there must be something \u201cmore\u201d than this; some enduring meaning that outlasts our brief span on this earth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Logic suggests that to find an eternal meaning, you must engage in an eternal purpose. Since there is only one eternal, living God, fulfilling his purposes for me is the most profound, meaningful activity I can engage in. This is what I meant when I answered your question with \u201cWell done, good and faithful servant.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now we get to the meddling part. Maybe you are hearing \u201cmene mene tekel upharsin<\/em>\u201d (Dan 5:25<\/a>), repeating the condemnation to yourself over and over. You sense a futility about your daily activities (Ecc 1:2-3<\/a>); your goals, hopes, and dreams have not come to pass like you expected them to. Or at least, these are my guesses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maybe your pain goes deeper. Maybe you are mired in secret sin that you know is wrong, but can\u2019t gain victory over. The \u201caccuser of the brethren\u201d is standing over your shoulder throwing yellow cards and telling you that you will never succeed, that you\u2019ve gone too far this time, that God could never love you, forgive you, accept you. So you are wondering if there is any consolation prize that can salvage the shipwreck you\u2019ve made of your life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whatever your starting point, the search for meaning must be willing to cast off meaninglessness. Maybe there is some truth to whatever accusations you are entertaining about your life. If you are building with wood, hay, and stubble (1 Cor 3:12<\/a>), are you going to keep on doing what you are doing, or will you change your building materials? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the saying goes, \u201cif you want what you\u2019ve never had, you must do what you\u2019ve never done.\u201d This is the first, non-negotiable prerequisite for change. Change is hard. It requires closing the door on what has been. There is loss. It must be experienced, mourned, embraced. Without the end of what was, there can never be the beginning of what will be. I know this sounds like motivational bumper sticker-ism but that\u2019s doesn\u2019t mean it isn\u2019t true. Simple truth is never simple to implement. It is hard, and we need all the encouragement we can get to persevere with hard things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The other crucial step is to change who you are listening to. Even if all of the accusations of the enemy about you are true, all of his representations of God are false. Just as in the Garden the serpent misrepresented God, sowing the seeds of doubt and disobedience, you are still being told lies about God. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then is the truth? <\/p>\n\n\n\n