Introduction

I have been thinking about finishing well.  As I study through the end of II Timothy and prepare for closing out my current sermon series on this book, I am struck at Paul’s faithfulness.  Even throughout his last days, he never stopped ministering.  In II Timothy 4, while sitting in prison, the Apostle Paul was still involved in discipling and training others.  We see him requesting the presence of his beloved protege Timothy, and we are told of him sending men off to do ministry in various locations.  We even see him requesting the presence of John Mark, noting that Paul finds John Mark useful for ministry.  What incredible impact Paul was able to have as he sat in prison awaiting his death sentence!

As I contemplated what caused Paul to continue in ministry when he could have sat back and contemplated his fate, what stood out to me was his focus.  Paul did not focus on his trials; he had so many other things to focus on!  He focused on continuing his mission, investing in other men, and even offering forgiveness to those who has wronged him.  He did not allow the enormity of his life situation to crowd out his vision for his mission to bring glory to God no matter what circumstances surrounded him.

Final Thoughts

We would do well to learn from the example of the Apostle Paul!  Oftentimes when we go through tough times in life our problems crowd out our vision and all we can focus on is the burden of our life situation.  But when those times happen, we need to focus outside of ourselves and remember the mission God has called us to.  By focusing on our calling to glorify God with our lives, spread the message of the Gospel, and make disciples for the cause of Christ, we can put our difficult life situations into perspective and rightly orient our priorities for life.  What an example the Apostle Paul left for us of having an upward focus that keeps God and His glory at the center of one’s vision!