In the last post, "Finish Well: Take Courage," we considered four ways to become a more courageous person in the second half of life. Today, we want to consider four UPGRADES to build strength.
First, a short testimony.
I (Dawn) am struggling with many health issues right now. I joked with my friend, Pam Farrel, "I have always been a Type-A+ person. These days I've added a lot of 'A's to my life: allergies, asthma, arthritis, apnea, acid reflux ...." LOL, right?
I'm discovering—as I strategize to regain my health—one of the most important aspects of recovery is my frame of mind.
So it's my first "finish well" strategy under building strength:
1. Cultivate Powerful Attitudes.
It's not about mind over matter; it's about searching out God's perspective and framing my thoughts and attitudes according to His Word.
All the self-talk in the world will not encourage my heart and guide my life as well as the powerful truth of scripture. My "self-talk" needs to be God-talk.
I need to read, know, memorize, meditate on and apply the rich, strength-building Word of God. God wants to change my attitudes from the heart out.
It is the application of God's Word that enables me to experience His joy, offer Him gratitude, trust Him in difficulties, and more.
God colors our attitudes with His abounding grace, and frees us to respond to life's cirumstances with inner strength—HIS strength in us.
What we think and say can become building blocks for greater character and strength with the goal of pleasing the Lord (Psalm 19:14), but first we need a transformed heart. God can transform our heart (and thoughts and attitudes) at any age (Romans 12:2; Philippians 4:8; Proverbs 4:23.
2. Focus on Friendships.
Another source of strength in the Christian's life (or it should be) is godly friendships. God made us for such relationships!
While our friendships are primarily a wonderful way to bring glory to God, they also are meant to help us build up our lives.
- A friend's encouraging or challenging words can keep us accountable to our goals and spiritual growth (Proverbs 27:17; 11:14; 19:20).
- A friend's loyalty, when we feel wounded by circumstances or other people, can help us move forward and not get stuck (Proverbs 18:24).
- A friend's acceptance and forgiveness can teach us more about the freeing, loving forgiveness of our Father in heaven (Ephesians 4:32).
- A friend's love can encourage us when times get tough (Proverbs 17:17; John 13:34-35).
Some may find it difficult to cultivate friendships, but it is always worth the time and effort.
Some friendships last for a lifetime; other friends enter our lives at a needful season and leave a warm glow when they depart.
We need many kinds of friends: friends to laugh with, pray with, study with, etc., because no one friend (except Jesus) can meet all our needs!
With my health issues, I pulled away for a while; I thought I could deal with things alone—just me and Jesus. That's silly when God has given me so many good friends!
Remember: Although Jesus is the sinner's dearest friend, earthly friends can also come alongside to encourage and strengthen us when we need them most.
It's never too late to make a new friend, especially when they are solid, biblical relationships that honor the Lord.
3. Create Family Legacy.
I don't know about you, but I want to leave a godly legacy that will outlive me. I may be physically weak and frail when I leave this earth, but I can leave behind something strong!
I read that revivalist preacher Jonathan Edwards and his wife Sarah left a far-reaching legacy. Their decendants were quite accomplished (including 100 lawyers, a law school dean, 80 who held public office, 66 physicians, 65 professors, 30 judges, 13 college presidents, 3 mayors of large cities, 3 state governors, 3 senators and 1 Vice President of the US). What a testimony of blessing and strength in that family!
I want to leave a worthy legacy of children and grandchildren who know, love and live for the Lord (Psalm 112:1-2); descendants who are caring and compassionate, and accomplishing God's will in His world. One of the most important ways to do that is to live an authentic, Christian life.
It's been said, "The legacy we leave is the life we lead."* The truth is, our children and grandchildren are watching our lives, and what they see is probably more influential than anything we will say. If I want them to follow and live for Jesus, it makes sense that I must lead the way.
That's pretty humbling and convicting sometimes. I'm an imperfect servant of the Lord. But I still have time to build strength in this area.
I must remember: I'm not just building strength for my own life, but for generations to come!
4. Make Healthy Choices.
I opened this post mentioning my struggle with many overlapping health issues. I must admit, at least two of my health issues have grown out of my poor choices. (And that's hard for me to admit when my entire ministry for the past 20 years has been about "choices.")
I've made poor eating, exercise and rest choices. And it shows. You may have done the same, but not experienced destructive, even debilitating consequences ... yet.
The truth is, we can all still build strength.
Until the day we die, it's never too late to make new, healthier choices.
It a battle sometimes, and it takes discipline, but as Pastor Brady Boyd says, "Tiny disciplines tend to win great wars!"**
Here are a few of my new choices:
- I'm taking more breaks in my schedule for "down time"—times for genuine rest. (The book that has influenced me greatly on this is Brady Boyd's Addicted to Busy.)
- I'm planning more time to commune with the Lord in meditation and prayer, often going outside because God's creation "speaks" to me about His greatness.
- I'm eating foods that are green, lean, clean and "alka-lean" (a word I coined that means I'm "leaning on more alkaline foods" and less acidic foods).
- I'm doing simple exercises and stretching with the hope that I'll be able to do more intensive movements as I heal.
- I'm doing my best to get more sleep!
Yes, we can build strength as we cultivate powerful attitudes, focus on friendships, create family legacy and make healthy choices.
Which of these four upgrades would help you Finish Well?
Dawn Wilson, founder and president of Heart Choices Today, is the creator of three blogs: Heart 
Choices Today, LOL with God (with Pam Farrel), and Upgrade with Dawn. She is the Director of the San Diego chapter of Network of Evangelical Women in Ministry (NEWIM). Dawn is the co-author of a devotional, LOL with God, and contributed "The Blessing Basket" in It's a God Thing. She and her husband Bob have two grown, married sons, three granddaughters and a rascally maltipoo, Roscoe.
* Legacy quote from A Leader's Legacy by James Kouzes and Barry Posner, p. 177.
** Tiny disciplines quote from Addicted to Busy by Brady Boyd.
Graphic adapted: Image courtesy of stockimages at FreeDigitalPhotos.net.