We are in Paul’s letter from prison to his friends at Philippi. You know as I’ve been studying through Paul’s letter, thinking about his context and mine, I find myself in the last chapter of my life. I’m hoping it’s a long chapter, but if there are three acts to my life, I’m in act 3. So I think even more about finishing well than I have before.
Paul’s words in Acts 20:24 were a life-challenge for him to finish well. I can just see him writing this in his journal. He writes, "But none of these things (troubles) move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy." He wanted to finish well, and finishing well meant finishing his race with joy. So in this episode, we’re going to take some time to ponder finishing well and in fact finishing well with joy.