Strong To The End!

"He will keep you strong to the end so that you will be free from all blame on the day when our Lord Jesus Christ returns." (I Corinthians 1:8 NLT)

We have heard many times that it is not how we start in life, but how we finish. That may  be the stimulus needed for many who race in marathons or triathlons or whatever it is people do in which they need a strong finish. God's promise to us is that He will keep us strong to the end--we will finish this race--without blame--and be ready when He returns to collect us! What a wonderful thought!

Now, in order to "keep" us strong, we have to get to a place where we are strong and are willing to "exercise" our faith to stay there. This is really how He'll keep us strong. We must exercise our faith, on a daily basis, and know without a doubt that He will do whatever He said He'd do. God is not a man that He should lie and all of His promises are "yes" and "amen" to those who love Him.

How do we exercise our faith daily? Thanking Him daily for all we have or need is a good way to start. Once we develop this habit, we'll discover that thanking Him comes as easily as breathing and we see how He responds to our acknowledging Him, He'll do even more.

Obeying His command to love--no matter how difficult a person is--is an exercise of faith. We love Him and love others simply because it is required of us. The more we love, the easier it becomes to love, unconditionally. Think of this way--we are not always lovable, but He never stops loving us; therefore we must learn to do the same for others. The more we love, the easier it becomes to love.

So, let's start where ever we are--at the beginning of faith or in the middle and stay strong until the end!