To Have a Life Well Lived, Have a Tenacious Grip on Faith

Paul says, “I have fought the good fight.” Why would he say that? Why didn’t he say, for example, “Life has been a breeze? I have had my share of the good times.” Instead, Paul implies that life has been a struggle. It is no different today. Take government for example. Whether it’s municipal, county, state, or national—government is always involved in a struggle. There are financial, social, and moral problems. Government is always in turmoil. Look at the church. There has been a struggle all through the ages. Today it struggles for leadership, for attendance, for volunteers, for money. The church has always to struggle just to maintain and even more if it is to be bold in its vision and ministry.

Life’s battles are not confined to institutions; they also occur in our personal lives. From the beginning to the end, we are all involved in struggle. A newborn struggles to be born. A child struggles to learn. The teenager struggles under peer pressure. Young adults struggle to find their niche, keep marriages together, and raise children. Older adults struggle with health problems and financial problems. The truth is that from the beginning of life to the end, we are all in a battle. Paul was right on target when he described life a as a fight.

But of all the battles that we must fight, Jesus taught that the most difficult one is the inner battle. It is the fight within us. It is the fight for self-control and against self-seeking. Advertisements bombard you with all kinds of products and gadgets that play on your emotions imploring you to take care of yourself. Give yourself a break. You deserve whatever your heart desires. You have worked hard and whether you can afford it or not, you should have it.

When we come to the end of our struggle, all of us can say that we have fought the fight, but can we echo the words of Paul that we have fought the good fight. Can we affirm in good faith that we have given the last ounce of energy? Can we look back upon life with a sense of satisfaction, rather than regrets? It was a fight, says Paul, but it was a good fight.

May you live a life well lived,

Pastor Qualley