Daily Hope with Rick Warren 5th January 2025, Sunday Devotional Message
Finish Well by Focusing
By Rick Warren
“Let us strip off every weight that slows us down . . . And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.” Hebrews 12:1-2 (NLT)
Light diffused has no power at all. But focused light through a magnifying glass can burn a piece of grass or paper. If you focus light even more, it becomes a laser that can cut through steel.
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In the same way, the more focused your life is, the more effective you’re going to be.
But it matters what you focus on. An effective life for the Christian is not focused on your career, your income, your success, or even your problems. Why? Because none of those things are going to last. They’re all temporary. They’re all going to fade away.
Instead of focusing on anything of this world, you need to set your mind on two things: Jesus Christ and how he lived and the inevitable rewards that are coming when you cross the finish line and meet him in heaven.
Living a focused life takes persistence. And the key to persistence is perspective. It’s all in the way you look at life. Why always determines how long. When you figure out why you do what you do, then you’ll have the motivation to keep on doing it.
The reason why so many Christians falter and don’t end the race well is they forget why they’re doing it. Why am I reading the Bible or going to church or meeting with a small group or serving in ministry?
We do it because these are habits that help us grow spiritually and prepare us for eternity. When we forget that we’re living for eternity and instead live for now, the distractions of life get us off track. We have to stay focused.
The most powerful motivation in life is not internal or external. It’s eternal.
Do you know how many times I wanted to quit during the 40 years I was a pastor? Just about every Monday morning! I would get discouraged and say, “Surely, there’s got to be somebody who can do a better job than me!” But I kept going because I want to finish well for Jesus, and I’m living in light of eternity.
Hebrews 12:1-2 says, “Let us strip off every weight that slows us down . . . And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith” (NLT).
The secret to finishing well is focus. Keep your eyes on God. Keep your eyes on eternity. Keep your eyes on the reward. Keep your eyes on ending well.
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