Following God means finishing what He has called you to do. Not everyone who starts out well finishes well. Occasionally we’re shocked and saddened to learn that a leader has been brought down by a moral or a financial problem. Paul writes, ‘Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas, greet you’ (Colossians 4:14 KJV). Later, he writes, ‘Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world’ (2 Timothy 4:10 KJV). There are three forces arrayed against you, and they never let up: the world, the flesh, and the devil. The world will try to pour you into its mould, your fleshly nature will try to drag you down, and the devil will use every trick in the book to defeat you. Paul was aware of these three forces when he said, ‘My life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus’ (Acts 20:24 NLT). So, make up your mind to complete the assignment God has given you and enjoy every minute of it. How can you finish strong? ‘By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvellous glory and excellence. And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires. In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises’ (2 Peter 1:3-5 NLT).
