Staying the Course

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Acts 20:24 ~  I count my life of no value to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of God’s grace.

I've been reading Acts lately and have been inspired by Paul's missionary journeys. As he approaches the end of the record of his travels he talks about knowing what he is going to face - beatings, jail, torture and even death, and makes this statement above. His only concern was finishing the ministry that he was given and staying the course of sharing the gospel.

Most of us will never face the things that Paul faced, and yet, so easily to veer off course. We allow worries, finances, family and a whole host of other things to get in the way of the ministry we've been given or get in the way of following where God leads. 

I know there have been times when I've allowed that to happen in my own life and when it does, I need to adjust my course and get back on the path that I know God has set me on. In fact, I think a lot of our lives is course correction; some minor adjustments and sometimes bigger ones. 

Paul also says in Philippians 3:13b-14 ~ "But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus."

Paul seemed to have a knack for staying focused and is a good example for me in my walk with the Lord. I have a tendency to veer off course and am easily distracted. My goal is to stick with what I feel God leading me to do and not to get sidetracked. 

I believe there are three takeaways from Paul's life found in these verses: Stay focused, keep your eye on the prize, finish strong. You can't go wrong if you follow his example. And the reason we can do that is that God is with us as we keep moving forward and He is our guide on the journey.

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