Stay the Course

Introduction

In these few verses we see the Apostle Paul’s determination to follow the course that God has called him to complete.

God has a course planned and prepared for each of our lives for His glory and for our good, but it will not be without obstacles and opposition.

We must, like the Apostle Paul, determine that we will stay the course and not allow anything to distract or dissuade us from completing it.

Paul here reveals the mindset that allowed him to stay the course to the finish line.

Let us examine the statements that Paul makes here so that we may learn what is required for us to finish our course.

Paul was able to stay the course because of his:

Determination

The course that God had marked out for the Apostle Paul was fraught with danger, suffering, and persecution and yet Paul would not allow these things to throw him off course.

II Corinthians 11:23-28- any one of these things could have caused Paul to turn back and drop out of the race.

Yet Paul states the fact that he would not allow any of these things to dissuade him from continuing on the course that God had set for his life.

What a contrast we see in modern day Christianity! We do not endure anything even resembling what Paul experienced and yet we are so often distracted or dissuaded from completing our course.

For many professing Christians it only takes some small perceived offense or some slight ridicule or a bit of difficulty or hardship for us to quit or get off course.

We need a fresh infusion of determination like that of the Apostle Paul. Where are the Christian men and women who will be determined to complete the course that God has set for their life no matter the cost, no matter the obstacles, no matter the opposition or persecution.

It is time that we seek out the course that God has prepared and determine to follow it with all of our might!

What a testimony we could be for our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ by staying the course in spite of the odds being stacked against us!

What better way to magnify and glorify our savior than to follow him through hardship, suffering, and difficulty.

Is it any wonder that the world doubts the sincerity of Christian believers who shrink back from the slightest adversity and compromise at the slightest hint of opposition?

I believe Paul could say “none of these things move me” because he could also say “the love of Christ constraineth me” (II Corinthians 5:14)

Selflessness

Paul was so consumed with fulfilling the call of God upon his life that he rarely thought of his own comfort or health. Paul simply was not concerned for his own well-being for he was consumed with the reaching the world with the gospel.

What a selfish society we are living in with each person (including the vast majority of believers) only concerned with what benefits themselves most.

Churches have compromised the standards of the Word of God to appease the selfishness of believers who want church their way!

How great could be the impact of a godly man or woman who would take on the mind of Paul (which was in truth the mind of Christ- Philippians 2:5-8 ) and say I am no longer concerned for my own comfort and well-being but only the fulfilment of the will of God for my life.

It is time that we get over ourselves and recognize that the life God has called us to live may take us outside of our comfort zone but we must stay the course. We may have to suffer and face strong opposition and great obstacles but we must stay the course!

It is all to apparent that many believers have come to believe that their relationship with God is one of getting rather than giving themselves to be used by him.

We must again recognize that we are here on this earth to carry out His will and that in truth God owes us nothing.

Paul had dealt with one hardship after another but he had come to the point where he did not care what he had to endure so long as he was continuing no the course that God had set for his life.

When will we begin to care more about advancing the cause of Christ than we do about preserving our own comfort and well-being. What will be our response if God allows us to suffer and endure hardship for the sake of advancing the kingdom of God?

We must do as Paul and die to self on a daily basis. Paul literally had come to the point that his only desire was that Christ be magnified whether it was through his life or by his death (Philippians 1:20-21)

Ambition

The Apostle Paul’s ambition was not too be well-known, well-liked, or to be wealthy or powerful. Rather, his ambition was to finish the course that God had marked out for his life and to do so with joy.

Paul was determined to finish well. So many start the race but are quickly drawn off course while other run the race but stumble and get off course as they near the finish line.

Paul was intent on staying the course all the way to its completion. His desire was not only to finish the course, but to do so with joy and without regret.

It was Paul’s aim to proclaim the gospel of the grace of God all the way to the end. He wanted to be involved in ministry until God called him home.

Praise God for every believer that begins their course with joy but how many are distracted or drawn off course and never reach the finish line. Satan will stop at nothing to keep us from finishing the work that God has called us to do but we must stay the course!

We must make up our minds that we will strive with everything within us to finish our course. God has prepared a course for reach of us and you and I must seek the will of God and then commit ourselves to staying on course, not allowing anything to take us away from fulfilling God’s will for our lives.

We live in a world where many are departing from the faith and still others are being drawn away to a counterfeit Christianity. We desperately need men and women who are determined to finish their course with joy!

Ultimately we find that Paul was able to stay the course all the way to the finish line- II Timothy 4:6-8- finished the course

You too can come to the end of this life and know that you have finished your course, that you have followed God’s call and fulfilled His will for your life and that you will also enjoy the reward that Paul enjoyed.

God is not asking you or me to be the Apostle Paul or to follow in his footsteps but He does expect us to run the race that He has set before us all the way to the finish line.

Hebrews 12:1-3- let each of us today commit to run our race all the way to the finish line!