More Than a Sidekick – Session 5 – All the Way

What does it mean to finish well?

by MIRIAM NEFF

WHAT COMES to your mind when you hear the word finish? I remember running in 5K races. My badge recorded how quickly I ran each mile. A camera recorded my stride. There were no do-overs.

“Finish well,” I’d breathe as I neared the finish line.

What comes to your mind in this season of your life? I remember the apostle Paul’s words: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Tim. 4:7).

What does it mean to finish well in this season of life?

We may have finished a career, some relation­ships have ended, and parenting responsibilities have probably changed. Like the fourth quarter in sports events, we sense urgency. What can we accomplish now? And what do we do about those endings, with no opportunity to do over?

WHAT WE CANNOT CHANGE

Let’s look at what we cannot change. We’ve all made relationship blunders, and we can’t undo those. We can ask God’s forgiveness. We can seek reconciliation with others, but rarely can we change where the past has led us. Reaching back to make amends can sometimes be more messy than fruitful.

Yes, we sin, but God’s forgiveness is permanent. His forgiveness means healing in our own hearts. I’m so thankful I do not carry a backpack of sin as I finish this race. Forgiven! We who have been forgiven much, love much. (See Luke 7:47.) Put down that backpack and don’t pick it up again.

WHAT WE CAN CHANGE

Let’s look at what we can do. Scripture affirms that this season can be one of great impact, regardless of what our culture says. Our culture values work and career more than retirement. Our culture values youth, strength, position, and power. As we approach our finish line, those may be small or absent.

As people of faith, our values are different. First things first. We embrace the truth that God has good purposes for us in this season of our life. We are valuable to Him with good things to do.

In Psalm 139:16, David marvels at God’s intimate knowledge of him: “All my days were written in your book and planned before a single one of them began.”

And we are assured “that he who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Phil. 1:6).

WHAT WE’RE CALLED TO DO

Our calling — our purpose — is not over until Jesus says it is, until our final breath. HalfTime founder, Bob Shank, says it this way: “Work is what you’re paid to do. Calling is what you’re made to do.” Work can surely include our calling, but what we are paid to do has possibly passed. This is our season to focus on what we’re called to do now.

Each of us can have a clear sense of purpose. As Christ-followers, we know God directs us in ways that honor Him. The aged widow, Anna, fasted and prayed. The apostle Paul, in his last season, encouraged and taught young Timothy, Titus, and others.

Are you fasting and praying for God’s will to be done in the world around you? Are you mentoring others by setting a godly example of stewardship and financial accountability? Are you affirming good characteristics you see developing.

WHAT WE’RE CREATED TO BE

As Christ-followers, it’s not all about doing. Being matters. What marks this season? Every morning I ask God to give me two things: joy and content­ment. This is His will for me, so He will deliver. Joy and contentment are not dependent on our circumstances, our health, our prominence, or other people. This is heart stuff. And God delivers.

The joy we have reflects our heart. For example, we can be generous, and even if we’re diminished in capacity, we do not have to be diminished in cheerfulness. God loves a cheerful giver. Be thankful to give whatever you can give, and your joy will show.

Being thankful is a key to remaining joyful, even when we struggle with health problems. God has given us our bodies, and although we should take care of our bodies as well as we can, good health is not guaranteed. I remember my husband’s words every morning as ALS was determining the last three years of his life: “Today is the best day of my life.” Always the next day had greater limitations, greater hardships. Yet he remained thankful in the face of declining health.

We, too, can face each day with thanksgiving and joy, knowing this is not the last chapter. Yes, it may be our last season on the present earth, but heaven is ahead. We will no longer struggle with the limitations of this life. This sure hope helps us be content here, knowing that one day we will have complete contentment.

WHAT WE CAN PASS ALONG

So how can we practice contentment now? We can keep our eyes focused on the final finish toward our heavenly home when we hold on loosely to things of this earth by giving back to God and others.

Let’s tackle the matter of money in this last season. The world’s view says you can never have enough. Hoard for yourself. Research shows that life satisfaction tops out at an average of $95,000 per year income. Single retirees on average in our country have $49,000 or about $100,000 per couple. Satisfied, right? Not necessarily.

Biblical wisdom guides us to spend less than what we have coming in. We know all we have is really God’s on loan to us. So we spend as good stewards and first give back to God.

Stewarding our resources now for when we’ve departed for heaven is more than an opportunity. It’s biblical responsibility. Wills and trusts require time and expense, but advanced planning is part of wise stewardship.

Giving back is more than financial. We can volunteer our time and services, spread encour­agement, and pray. Set aside time to look around at the needs in your neighborhood, community, church, and other organizations. One friend volunteers in her local library. Another friend drives individuals in his neighborhood to appoint­ments. What tugs at your heart strings?

This is a great season to be salt and light exactly where we are. So “let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus” (Heb. 12:1-2).

With 23 years of professional counseling experience, MIRIAM NEFF is the founder and president of Widow Connection (widowconnection.com) and the author of 12 books. She also has two daily one-minute radio features, New Beginnings and Wise Women Managing Money, and speaks nation­ally and internationally on navigating unwanted life change and widow issues. Miriam is the widow of Robert Neff, a mother, and a grandmother.

This article originally appeared in Mature Living magazine (March 2023). For more articles like this, subscribe to Mature Living.