"However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me--the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace." -- Acts 20:24

At the end of his life and ministry Paul felt that he had done just this: finished his race (2 Tim. 4:7). He had kept the faith. He had completed the task the Lord had given him.

His life had a tremendous impact on the beginnings of the church. No less than thirteen of his epistles would find their way into what we now call the New Testament. Only Luke -- a traveling companion and friend of Paul -- contributed almost as much to the NT as did Paul himself. Paul planted dozens of churches, preached hundreds of times, brought thousands to Christ.

It had not been easy. He was persecuted and punished for his efforts. He may have been divorced. He had made mistakes. His acerbic personality made it difficult for him to be liked. There were tensions with the other apostles. He struggled with his own, personal sin throughout his ministry. He was wrong about some things. At times he was petty, self-serving and hypocritical. A Jesus Christ he was not. But then, neither has anyone else who has ever lived been a Jesus Christ.

In short, he was a lot like me. He was a lot like most of us. Paul, possibly more than anyone else, understood the reality of grace. Were it not for grace, a man like him could not have functioned in the ministry of grace.

Nor could anyone.

Paul's life was not important to him. If you wanted to criticize it, he would agree with you. He would rejoice in your criticism knowing that it was through his weakness that God did his greatest work. Well, maybe he wouldn't rejoice too much in your criticism of him, but he freely criticized himself. And on occasion he had a proclivity toward a little Texas bragging.

Still, he had one straightforward mission. He would not let your criticism of him, or his criticism of himself, dissuade him from that mission. And at the end of his life he could look back and say, "I did it! Now, when I see the Lord, he will present my medal in a special awards ceremony."

Note that Paul did not say that he won the race. There were no winners and losers. You only had to finish to win. You only had to complete the race to receive honor.

That is the reason you and I must remain faithful to the task to which God has called us. That is the reason we must never give up. No matter what we encounter. No matter how defeated we at times may feel. No matter the persecution, no matter even the pain that we bring upon ourselves, we are his and by his grace we will finish the race. I've a suspicion that when we do, an old, grizzled apostle will be the first to meet us and give us a hug!