How Am I Doing?

          It seems as if everyone wants to know how they are doing.  There are a number of organizations who are always putting out surveys to their customers asking how they are going.  I get a survey on every product purchased from Amazon.  Trucks and vans have little messages that ask the question, "How am I driving?"  Most restaurants have a "comment card" placed on or near your table.  You just fill it out and drop it off in the box as you leave the restaurant.  I have also attended a number of conferences where you have to fill out an evaluation sheet before you leave the conference.  This gives the leaders the opportunity to read suggestions and criticisms which may improve future conferences.  While in school, you receive grades which also are an indication of how well you are doing in each of your courses of study.  When the Apostle Paul was writing his second letter to young Timothy, he concluded with an evaluation of his own life.  Second Timothy 4:7 says, "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:"  
      Paul would get an A+ for his Christian life.  You notice that there are three areas that Paul mentioned.  He had fought a good fight, he had finished his course and he had kept the faith.  When you think about it, this is all there is.  This includes everything that you could think of.  If you are able to say this at the end of your life, then you have done what you were supposed to do.  Fighting the fight is a life long project.  We are always involved in spiritual warfare and we need to maintain a constant vigil against the enemy as we go through this life.  Then, Paul said that he had finished his course.  He had done what God had called him to do.  He had finished it.  Finishing something is a big responsibility and often quite hard to do.  Some projects get bogged down and are often neglected and even dropped completely.  It seems as if they just involve too much effort and time.  Paul knew what he had to do and when he got near to the end of his life, he could say that he had finished his course.  Then, finally, he says that he had kept the faith.  There was no one who could call the Apostle Paul an apostate.  He kept the faith and he did not waver at any point.  He never questioned God nor did he doubt the doctrine that he taught.  He stood firm on the Word of God and he stood firm on his steadfastness.  He didn't waver.  So, when you think about it, this is all you have to do.  Be involved in a life long commitment to be faithful to God always, to finish what God gives you to do and be ready to stand up for truth while you battle that which is false.  That will keep us all busy.  Praise God for His faithfulness to us.  May we be faithful to Him as much as possible.