“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing” - 2 Timothy 4:7-8
Stephen Covey was one of the most influential management thinkers of the last century. In his best selling book ‘The 7 habits of highly effective people’ which went on to sell over 25 million copies, he asked, “What would you like to be remembered for?” Covey advised that everyone of us should build our lives with an end in mind.
The other day, I attended a funeral of a departed Christian friend, Abner Syambi (1939- 2021). There are two things that struck me. First, although Syambi had served in many high places, including heading the country office of Food Agricultural Organization (FAO) and chairing many high profile boards, almost for everyone that would come forth to share about his life, it was his faith in Christ they would speak of.
One speaker who knew him before he accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior in 1983, startled some when he shared about his worldly lifestyle before he committed his life to Christ. So, when it came to one of his sons to share, he confessed that he had never known of that old Syambi they were speaking of. “Since I was born all I knew and saw of him was as a person living for Christ. I had no idea who the person before he was.”
2 Corinthians 5:17, says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” Here was a true example of someone who after committing his life to Christ, his life had totally changed that a child born long after could vehemently protest that his father lived for anything else other than Christ. The point here being, when someone comes to Christ and there is no change in his behaviors, from being worldly focused to living for God, then where is Christ in his new life!
Like Covey gently asked, at the back of everyone should be the question, “how would you like to be remembered when you die?” All of us, should lead our lives, in such a manner, that when the end comes, people easily point to the faith that carried us through, what it meant to us to carry the cross, that none is sad, because all know we would have earned a safe place in eternity. Like the master said, so let it be, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
Prayer for today: Lord Father God of Abraham, creator of heaven and earth, when my time comes may everyone gladly share about the faith I had in your son Jesus Christ, because He was at the center of my life, as we have seen with your great Generals.
