“IT IS NOT HOW YOU START, BUT HOW YOU FINISH !!!”
- 1. “IT IS NOT HOW YOU START, BUT HOW YOU FINISH !!!” If you look at any sports event for example a race, then you will always see that there are a lot of people who normally start it in the same way. In South Africa we have a marathon called 'The Comrades’ which is annually run from Durban to Pieter Maritzburg (+/- 88km). The amount of people who take part in this Marathon is approximately 13 000. In other words, these 13 000 runners starts the race, BUT only one runner gets the gold medal and the winning prize. On average about half of the runners who start the race complete it and is awarded a certificate of ACHIEVEMENT. So, it is not how you start the race, BUT how you finish it, that determines whether you will win the prize. In my WALK WITH GOD over the years I have seen many Christians who start well in their walk with God. But sad to say, many of these same Christians and children of God are not walking with God anymore, in the same way they started off. Paul the apostle, also writes about running a race. 1 Corinthians 9:24-27; Here Paul writes that we must run this race (spiritual), in such a way that we may receive the price. In verse 25 he says that we must exercise SELF-CONTROL in ALL things. One of the secrets to success in life is this very same thing called: SELF- CONTROL. Prov 16:32b: “self-control is better than political power.” (The Message). In studying the lives of the great men of history, one will discover the following: There are THREE things in life that has caused the downfall of these great men (including great men of God). GLORY, GOLD and GIRLS (the three G’s). GLORY: When a person gets into some position of power and start to receive glory from people, then it has shown that it’s very difficult for most people to withstand the abuse of this GLORY. Success is most probably the greatest TEST of CHARACTER and SELF-CONTROL. GOLD: Money and the false sense of power which money can give is as well a TEST of CHARACTER and SELF-CONTROL. GIRLS: For some reason, Satan, the enemy of God and God’s purposes in and with man, has always been using woman to cause the downfall and failure of man. There are men who achieved great things (medical field, science, arts, political and even Christians) but were not successful in their marriages. Paul, in verse 26 of 1 Corinthians gives a very interesting remark:”…not without aim…” In this race of life, we must NEVER forget that one day we will give an account of how we have run this race of life. Some people live as if their will never be a day of reckoning, a day of judgment, when we will all stand before the throne of God to be judged for our lives here on earth. I am constantly reminded and confronted with the following question in my mind: Of all the things I am doing, on a daily basis in my life? HOW MUCH OF IT HAS ETERNAL VALUE? Let us take a look at two men, from the Old Testament, who started off in their careers the same way, but FINISHED differently. King SAUL: His BEGINNING: Saul served his father by looking after his father's donkeys. He was obedient to his father (1 Sam 9:3). Here are some of the characteristics of Saul: a) He was honouring his father, by being concerned that his father would worry over him and the servant: 1 Sam 9: 5 b) He knew how to honour the Man of God: 1 Sam 9: 6,7 c) He was a humble man: 1 Sam 10:22
- 2. d) He did not fight for his own cause or defend himself: 1 Sam 10: 26,27 e) He knew how to give glory to God: 1 Sam 11:13 God told Samuel that he must anoint Saul to be King over Israel (1 Sam 15-17). He was an OBEDIENT, FAITHFUL and GOD-FEARING man. I believe God chose him because of these characteristics. His END (FINISH): DISOBEDIENCE: We read in 1 Sam 12:14,15 that the Lord said to Saul and the people, that if they would listen and OBEY the voice of the Lord, that they will be blessed, BUT if they do NOT OBEY the Lord, then the Hand of the Lord will be against them. Saul became DISOBEDIENT (1 Sam 15:3, 7-11). Samuel clearly told him to utterly destroy and kill Amalek and its king, Agag, NOTHING was to be spared to live. Saul did not do this and spared king Agag as well as the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings, the lambs and all that was good, in his own eyes. SHIFTING THE BLAME: When Samuel confronted him about this disobedience, he then said to Samuel that it was not his decision, but the people who were with him. Saul did not take responsibility for his own DISOBEDIENCE and ACTIONS, but he shifted the blame onto the people, who were with him. Take responsibility for your own life, actions !!! Do not blame OTHERS !! Do not blame CIRCUMSTANCES !! (1 Sam 15:13-23). JEALOUSY: He became jealous of David's anointing and even tried to kill him (1 Sam 19:). There are men of God, who at one time experienced the anointing of God in their lives, but because of their DISOBEDIENCE and subsequent UNWILLINGNESS to REPENT of their sins did receive forgiveness from God. Since they are not restored in their relationship with God, they become jealous of the men whom God uses and trusts. They start speaking against those men who are being used by God and who has the anointing of God. Prov 18:21 says that,"Death and Life are in the power of the tongue," When you start speaking NEGATIVE and BAD MOUTHING other men of God then you are actually busy 'killing' them. WITCHCRAFT: Saul's life ends by him consulting a 'spirit medium'. God had deserted Saul and instead of him coming in repentance before God to be restored, he decided to turn to the devil (1 Sam 28:6,7) The end of Saul's life is rather very sad … he committed suicide by falling into his own sword. Saul started his life, as king of Israel, in the way that most people are still starting their Christian life today. However, my dear Brother and Sister, How will the end of your life be? How will you FINISH your life here on earth?? The BIG question is NOT HOW you started, BUT HOW you FINISHED !?!?!?!?!? King DAVID: His BEGINNING: We meet David also looking after his father's sheep, just like Saul looked after the donkeys of his father.
- 3. David was also anointed king over Israel, by the same prophet (Samuel). David also DISOBEYED God, BUT he was quick to REPENT before God and did NOT shift the blame to others. David took RESPONSIBILITY for his actions. David was NOT a PERFECT man. He also made mistakes, BUT he did not do what Saul did. He confessed his wrong doings and found forgiveness from God. Please take your time and study the life of David and compare it to the life of Saul and you will clearly see the difference of how they lived. They both started off in the same way, BUT they did not FINISHED in the same way??!! David’s end (finish): In Acts 13:36, the Apostle Paul refers to David; "For David, after served his own generation by the purposes of God, fell asleep,…or Served God’s purposes in his own generation, fell asleep,…” Would God one day be able to say of you and me the same? "That we served the purposes of God in our generation???" Dr Thinus van Dyk Agape in Africa Ministries P.O Box 40533 MUFULIRA, ZAMBIA Tell: + 260-2-411517 Cell: + 26097-203838 SA: + 27 + (0)82-5187802 CENTRAL-AFRICA E-mail: agapecps@zamtel.zm SA: agape.sa@telkomsa.net EQUIPPING THE SAINTS IN AFRICA FOR THE END-TIME HARVEST ! ! Luke 10:2 "The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into His harvest." John 4:35b: "...Behold I say to you, lift up your eyes, and look on the fields, that they are white for harvest."