Fridays are great on a stand-alone basis.  But sometimes I get to Friday and I look back at my week and think, “Hmm . . . what just happened?”

In 2 Timothy 4:7, Paul is having his own time of reflection, only his is covering much more than a week.  His thirty year trek down memory lane leaves him with this assessment: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith.”

When I think of looking back in thirty years, it is daunting, indeed.  I mean that is a long time to put a good fight!  How can I be sure I’ll have the energy to finish strong?

And viewing it that way, I think I know the answer: if I live thinking about thirty or forty years down the pike, I’ll lose heart.  That is like trying to build a house in a day.  No, this fight of faith must be fought day-by-day and week-by-week.

So whether your reflection at the close of this first week of the New Year leaves you with question marks or exclamation points isn’t really the question.  Sure, it matters. But also it is gone.  The real question is how will you finish strong today?  How will you begin a weekend worthy of looking back on? What eternal pursuits will you make?  How (and who) will you love?

And in this way, little-by-little, we’ll press on toward the goal of the ultimate strong finish; by finishing strong each day.

We hope to see you this weekend and God bless.