” Beloved:
I am already being poured out like a libation,
and the time of my departure is at hand.
I have competed well; I have finished the race;
I have kept the faith.
From now on the crown of righteousness awaits me,
which the Lord, the just judge,
will award to me on that day, and not only to me,
but to all who have longed for his appearance.” 2 Timothy 4.
Apostle Paul who at the time of this epistle to Timothy was in prison and old and about to die was writing to Timothy his spiritual son to let him know that the time of his departure is near, the time to join his ancestors is at hand but that he is not afraid because he has fought the good fight of faith and all that is left for him now is the crown of glory which he is expecting to get from God.
Apostle Paul wrote between 13 to 14 letters in the New Testament.
He was the Apostle to the Gentiles.
He established churches and appointed elders.
He went on the first, second and third missionary journeys.
He won souls for Christ.
He faithfully carried out the mission of Christ for him.
As someone would always say, when God gives you a gift, task and a mission, he gives you a cross.
Paul was not without his fights, battles, struggles and challenges.
It was not all smooth and roses for him.
If you read the eleventh chapter of his second letter to the Corinthians, you will see where he outlined all he went through in the course of his ministry.
He was imprisoned multiple times.
He suffered shipwreck.
He was beaten with rods.
Suffered Hunger.
He was robbed.
Attacked by a snake.
Exposed to cold and nakedness.
He was sick and he suffered multiple persecutions.
These are some of the things he endured and fought through in his ministry.
This is why at the end of his life, he was writing above to Timothy that despite the fact it has not been easy, he has fought the good fight and finished the race.
He fought the good fight because he understood that a crown awaits him at the end.
In the same way, we all in this world are fighting one battle or another.
We are surrounded and confronted by many battles of life.
We survive one battle and another battle shows up.
We battle with addiction, sickness, depression, anxiety, affliction, frustration, and indeed other unpleasant and uncomfortable situations.
When we fight our battles, let us fight with hope that at the end of the battle a crown awaits us.
After the battle of life, we shall be honored, recognized and celebrated.
We shall one day flaunt and showcase our golden crowns.
In the battle of life, sometimes we get wounded, knocked down, attacked, it is okay. When it happens, get back up and keep fighting.
Do not give up on the battles of life.
Do not surrender.
Do not quit no matter how tough the battle may be.
If you persevere, you will win, conquer, overcome and be victorious.
Do not run away from your battles because your battles will set you up for your crown.
When soldiers are sent overseas to fight, when they complete and accomplish their mission, they come back and they are honored, awarded and celebrated.
Those who fought till the end are those honored not those who quit.
Keep fighting your battles with patience and hope that one day it will be over.
Life is hard.
Life is not for the fainthearted.
It is for the strong and the brave.
Apostle Paul fought hard his own battles.
He never allowed his battles, struggles and challenges to derail him from his purpose and destiny.
One day the tears will end, the hurt, the pain and the suffering.
One day we will depart this life and it will be a thing of joy that we are departing to go receive from God our crown talked about by Paul.
The world is not a bed of roses.
Life is full of thorns and thistles.
When life hands you a lemon, use it to make lemonade.
That’s what Paul did.
Your sufferings and pain will not be forever.
At some point it will come to an end and we shall wear a crown in the new Jerusalem.
“Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.”……..James 1:12
