Description
In this series we will be exploring how we can continue to have meaning and purpose as we enter the latter stages of our life. As the Apostle Paul neared the end of his life he wrote, “ I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” (2 Tim 4:7) But what does it mean to “finish well,” and how do we accomplish this goal while navigating through all the twists and turns of life? In this series Phil will provide some principles and strategies to help us navigate these waters. Together we will evaluate where we have been, where we currently are, and then what God may still want to do in and through our lives.
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Video Script
Finishing the Race: Series Intro
Welcome to another one of my podcast series. Regardless if this is your first series or if you are a frequent listener or viewer, thanks for joining me. In this series, which I’ve titled, Finishing the Race, we will be exploring how we can continue to have meaning and purpose as we enter the latter stages of our life.
Over many years of ministry, I have the privilege of living in other countries as well as travelling internationally, as I have taught leadership seminars, been involved in coaching ministry teams and doing consulting work with churches. It all came to a screeching halt when the pandemic hit and I was grounded like so many others. To say this was an adjustment and a shock to the system would be a understatement, to say the least.
Of course, I was aware that the day would come that I would not be able to travel internationally as much and I had been preparing for that. But the immediate change of lifestyle and having the face this reality sooner than I was expecting, really caught me a bit off guard. The good news is that some of the issues that I faced during that time resulted in this series. So this material is just not theory but what I also went through.
At that time, I was entering my fourth decade of ministry and my sixth decade of life and so that combined with some other issues I was going through, all culminated in a time of reflection and re-evaluation. So this material and these podcasts are a result of my own journey as I transitioned into what some have called the “Final Third of our productive lives.”
Finishing Well
As the Apostle Paul neared the end of his life he writes, “ I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” (2 Tim 4:7) But what does it mean to “finish well,” and how do we accomplish this goal while navigating through all the twists and turns of life? In this series I hope to provide some principles and strategies that have helped me navigate these waters.
When we actually realize that we have more life behind us than in front of us, varies for all of us. For many of us, midlife was the first time we take stock and re-evaluated where we have been and where we are going. But regardless if you went through that in your midlife or not, it is likely that as you enter the last stage of your life, it will be a time of reflection and realignment.
Whenever we go through these transitions in our life stages, it can be rather disorientating as we have to reevaluate our priorities and adjust some of our expectations. This time of recalibration can actually be quite disruptive as it affects every area of our life — including our sense of identity.
As I read some of Paul’s other writings, it is clear that one of the purposes of our life here is preparation for our eternal home. Having meaning and purpose in this life is just the opening act in what God’s has planned for us. I don’t think any of us truly understand how our eternal life will in some way have a continuity with this life. Once I really grasped this, it provided even more motivation to finish this first stage of my race well. God’s plans for us here, I believe, connects our current life with our ultimate redemption when we spend eternity with Him.
Rediscovering Purpose
Each episode in the series is based on my workbook notes, which I think you will find helpful and can be downloaded from our website. We will begin by discussing some of the challenges of this latter stage of life. We will then take some time to reflect on how our journey thus far has impacted us, before then considering how we can adjust to the new realities of what the future may look like.
You may not feel you are quite there yet and so may wonder if this series is really for you. But you are not alone, I have done this in a retreat format and seminar setting and have had many participate who are in their mid life and even younger. They have commented on how helpful they found it as they prepare for the inevitable aging process. Maybe if more of us began preparing earlier, much of what we cover in this series would not even be necessary. So even if the “last third,” as some call it, is far away, or if for you it is just around the corner, I am sure you will find our discussions helpful.
Let me emphasize, “finishing the race” is not just about making it through this life so that we can make it to heaven where we can spend our days sitting on clouds and playing harps into eternity. Yah, that doesn’t seem very appealing to me either! But eternity will not be a time of doing nothing. Scripture is pretty clear that our life here is just the first, and the shortest, lap of our eternal life. It is just the first stage of a long never ending life full of exciting adventures and meaningful service in a place that God has created for us.
But before then, we need to finishing our earthly race well. This lap of the race really matters. My hope is that in our time together you will pick up some life strategies that will enable you to reach that goal. In our time together we will evaluate where we have been, where we currently are, and then what God still wants to do in and through our lives.
So I hope that you will join me on this journey as we discover how we can Finish our Race with meaning and purpose.