A few years ago, at the prompting of my mentor, I read a book entitled: Finishing Strong by Steve Farrar. In it, he makes the claim that only 1 in 10 who start out in full-time service to the Lord at twenty-one are still in by age sixty-five. Fortunately, I've tipped the odds in my favor by getting such a late start, but the statistic is quite startling. 1 in 10.The advice that comes out of the book can be summarized in its first chapter: "Stay true to Jesus! Make sure that you keep your heart close to Jesus every day. It's a long way from here to where you are going to go, and Satan's in no hurry to get you." To my team, to my spouse, to my son, to my Lord - I make this commitment: I will seek each day to abandon myself to His will, recognizing that I am on a marathon, not a sprint.
I would ask you to do the same. Whether or not we are in "full-time" service via a paycheck, we are all called to His unending purposes which transcend a mere salary. And we choose to finish strong over being among the 9 in 10 who don't by making room for Jesus each day and keeping Him at the center of all we do!
As we begin The Net, may we never become arrogant and believe we are doing anything special outside of His grace. May we never become so confident in our plans that we dismiss our ongoing need of His presence. We are headed into an exciting time - so take a deep breath and allow His spirit to fill your lungs, because the road ahead is long and full of adventure and without Him we will certainly fail!
4 comments:
R -
I usually don't think to much about statistics, but reading this I began to question the legitimacy of his research. 1 out of 10. Really? Wow!
I do know it's easy to become distracted, even discouraged. I prayed this morning for patience and perspective - two things that are so powerful yet so easily lost. Marathon...so true!
MD
Matt, thanks for the follow up. To clarify - the context of the stat is from a conversation the author had while in college with his friend's dad. The dad rattled off the 1 in 10 statistic. The author thought it was a bit extreme, as well. So, he wrote down the names of 24 peers and contemporaries that he felt would be committed for the long haul in a back page of his bible. Over the years, he would scratch out the names of the ones that would leave the ministry for whatever reason... 33 years later, only 3 names remained.
hey ryan!
i really like steve farrar; his writing, his perspective..
and btw.. he is a TEXAN!! hehehehe
dallas, to be exact! ;-)
chris and i bought one of his books recently while en route to arizona for a family vaction this summer.. 'overcoming overload' (seven ways to fine rest in your chaotic world) the book is by steve and his wife, mary. great book! we haven't finished it yet..
looks like 'finishing strong' is more than just for a heart that ministers full-time.. what a great book to get next! thanks for the heads up, ryan!
love how you shared that this is a committment to those people most important in your life.
you go cuz!!!
blessings to you 3 and to your team, and ALL that you put your hands, feet, and soul to!
lisette
oh.. i mis-typed..
it's seven ways to find.. not fine! he! :-)
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