Minister with 'Last-Days Leadership'

Many people are pointing to the "signs of the times" and concluding that Christians will soon meet their savior, Jesus, in the air (in the rapture of the Church). Whether that day is almost here, or many years away, we definitely are going to face troubling days ahead. In light of that, we need strong leaders. It's what I like to call "Last-Days Leadership." In this Leadership UPGRADE, I'll share five qualities that can help us lead well in tough times.

Jesus exemplified leadership as the perfect servant-leader. He trained a small team while drawing countless others to follow His message of light and life, forgiveness and freedom. (A good study might be to read the scriptures with this thought: "How can I lead like Jesus?")

There are as many kinds of leadership as there are roles in ministry. Also, as we lead, it's wise to be be a good follower / learner ourselves, asking, "How can I grow in my leadership skills?"

Here are five qualities that can help us lead well in tough times.

The Five C's of Last-Days Leadership

1. CONFIDENCE: Trust God in a Shaky World.

People are frazzled, fearful, and frustrated by the scary things happening in the world:

• the constant threat of nuclear disaster,
• the devaluating dollar,
• new diseases,
• unstable weather,
• strained and broken relationships,
• and stress like never before.

Christian leaders know that the only true source for the security and peace the world craves is God. Everything and everyone else can be taken from us or lost.

Have you heard this statement? "You just need to believe in yourself!" That and many other catchphrases from pop psychology and the culture-at-large can mislead Christians. It's okay to believe you have the ability to do this or that—when you actually DO have the ability—and we all need a measure of confidence to make choices or try new things.

But self-confidence is limited, and when our confidence is accompanied by hurtful pride and independence from God, it's sinful.

More than confidence in ourselves, we need God confidence!

When we need clear direction in a shaky world, the Lord of heaven is our help and resource. Proverbs 3:5-6 reminds us to trust in Him and not lean on our own understanding. Other scriptures also caution about human confidence (like Proverbs 28:26 and Jeremiah 9:23).

It is wise to acknowledge God's right to control our lives.

Rather than trying to drum up more confidence, act in faith every day, and teach others the wisdom and value of confidence in God too. 

2. COMPASSION: Love People in a Needy World.

Effective ministry flows from personal interaction.

Leadership without genuine love and compassion will not help and change people; it will only keep “programs” going.

Jesus often met people’s physical needs before He dealt with their spiritual needs. Servant-leaders are wise to look at others through eyes of compassion and understanding. Offer your hands and heart to God.

If there are any problems in leadership, they usually come from the leader’s failure to connect with people in the group, so:

• take time to understand people’s needs and wishes,
• connect to needs by developing relationships,
• ask questions,
• and show sincere concern.

Compassion means “to suffer with”—sincere love that comes alongside others, as Jesus did (Matthew 9:36; 14:14).

If there are people in your group that you don’t know how to encourage or lead, take another look. See them through Jesus’ eyes!

Be aware of teachable moments that arise out of sacrificial ministry.

3. CONVICTION: Embrace Truth in a Confusing World.

Do you know what you believe, and why? Can you explain it to others?

As a Christian leader, you are responsible to guide others to the truth of God’s Word, and help them understand how His truth applies to their personal lives.

The Apostle Paul said, “I know whom [not just what] I have believed” (2 Timothy 1:12). That should be the confession of every child of God, especially Christian leaders. 

Know God’s Word to know Him!  

The world would like us to compromise what we believe—to water it down and tolerate lies—but it is only the truth that sets people free (John 8:32; 17:17).

The scriptures are profitable and powerful (2 Timothy 3:16; Hebrews 4:12). Embrace the Word, and seek the will of God daily. Your leadership will be rooted and fruitful (Psalm 1:1-3).

There is no substitute for the pure Word of God.

4. CHARACTER: Reflect Christ to a Watching World.

God chose each of us “to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last” (John 15:16). Ambassadors for Christ will serve Him with integrity and good character (2 Corinthians 5:20).

Leaders should model behavior they want co-laborers and followers to emulate, but even more is at stake: the world is watching to see if our walk lines up with our talk.

Reflect Christ. Bring glory to His name, not shame.

We want:

• to be holy because God is holy (I Peter 1:16),
• to discipline our lives  in righteousness (I Corinthians 9:27),
• and to love others sincerely (without hypocrisy) so the world can see God in us (I Corinthians 13:4-8; Romans 12:9; I John 4:12). 

People are watching—guard your heart and mind!

5. COURAGE: Stand for God in an Unbelieving World.

As our culture plunges deeper into sin, the light of holy Christians will shine brighter and brighter and people should see the difference (Matthew 5:16). 

But that's not all that will happen.

• The world despises those who follow Christ with a whole heart and believe in the authority of the unchanging Word of God (John 15:18-19), so expect tension between good and evil.
• You may even be called to suffer for His sake as you stand for truth (Romans 8:17-18; 2 Timothy 3:12; I Peter 4:15-16). 

How can you move forward in courage?

• Find strength in the joy of the Holy Spirit's presence (John 14:16-17). Jesus sent Him to be our helper and, especially when times get tough, He gives direction based in the truth.
• Cast a biblical vision of holiness in the fear of God, sacrificial service, and joyful ministry. Where there is no vision—no long-term plan based in the Word and will of God—people will either be destroyed or wander aimlessly. So help them see what God is doing (Proverbs 29:18 MSG).
• This is not a time to be fuzzy about our role as leaders! Stand alone, if necessary, for what is right. Be bold for God!

No matter where we are on the timetable of God, we still want to minister well. God can help us do that with confidence, compassion, conviction, character, and courage.

We don't need to worry about "success"—we only need to be faithful to what our Father in heaven has called us to do; and if he has called us to lead, let us do it to honor Him.

Are you a leader in some way? Are you practicing the five C's? If not, what can you do to improve?

Dawn Wilson, founder and President of Heart Choices Today, is a speaker and author, and the creator the blog, Upgrade with Dawn. She is a contracted researcher/reviewer for women's teacher and revivalist, Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth at Revive Our Hearts, and is a regular columnist at Crosswalk.com. She and her husband Bob live in sunny Southern California, and Dawn has traveled with Him in Pacesetter Global Outreach. They have two grown, married sons, three granddaughters and a rascally maltipoo, Roscoe.

Graphic adapted, courtesy of Christina at Wocintechchat.com for Unsplash.

Let's Talk about Finishing Well

It's my birthday today, and I've been thinking a lot about finishing my earthly race well. Actually, I started getting serious about "finishing well" shortly after I received my diagnosis with Multiple Myeloma in 2019. A diagnosis can do that!

In this Wisdom UPGRADE, I want to share some things I've learned as I've thought and meditated on this concept of finishing the final season of life.

We need a blueprint, a well-defined pattern to observe and follow, in order to finish well.

The Bible teaches us principles about finishing well in the final season of life. I see it as a pattern.

• There are "Principled People" in the Bible who illustrate powerful truths. They are the who in this article—biblical characters like Joseph and Paul, and especially Jesus.
• We also need a "Powerful Perspective" as we consider why it's so important.
• Then, through "Productive Preparation," we learn how to finish well.
• And it helps to have a "Practical Picture"—what does it look like to finish well today?

Let's look at each of these.

1. Principled People: WHO in the Bible Illustrates Finishing Well?

So many biblical characters did not finish well. We think of King Saul, Jezebel, King Solomon, Judas, Ananias and Sapphira, and others). But many, though not perfect, did finish well, holding God and His Word paramount in their lives.

Here are just a few examples.

Joseph finished well. In spite of all life threw at him—his brothers' conspiracy and others' abuse—Joseph finished his race in spiritual strength. His family saw firsthand how he had served both God and Pharaoh, trusting the Lord with his whole heart through tough, scary times. Throughout his lifetime, Joseph used the wisdom God gave him, and stood firm and courageous against sexual immorality.

In the last seasons of his life, Joseph wisely provided for his family in a foreign land (Genesis 50:19-21), and in faith, he gave instructions about taking his bones home for burial in the Promised Land (Genesis 50:22-25; Hebrews 11:22).

Joseph lived well and he finished well, giving us an example of courageous commitment and wise preparation.

King David finished well. Even though the "man after God's own heart" had great courage and successes, there are signs that he never recovered from his moral failures, and his family was impacted by the consequences of his sins. His firstborn, Amnon, raped his half-sister, Tamar; and then Tamar's brother, Absalom, killed Amnon. Later Absalom led a conspiracy to take over David's throne. The family devastation continued into Solomon's reign.

So David was not perfect. He confessed his sin and was forgiven—but he didn't act forgiven. In his final years he was hindered by regrets.

Yet Acts 13:36 says David finished well. He "served God's purpose in his own generation," and that is a lesson for all of us—to serve God's purposes in OUR generation. It's worth our time to discover God's purposes . . . ask for wisdom (James 1:5).

The Apostle Paul finished well. In 2 Timothy 4:7, he said, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."

We say Paul finished well because of all he endured in completing the will of God in his life (2 Corinthians 11:23-28). He suffered three shipwrecks, was imprisoned, flogged, beaten, and stoned. He knew cold, sleeplessness, hunger, and thirst. He was disdained and assaulted by Jews, Gentiles, and false Christians.

Paul trusted God's sovereign love and perfect providence and love (Romans 8:28, 36-37) until his death.

Paul teaches believers how to suffer well in order to finish well.

Jesus, our Savior, finished well. Jesus, said in John 17:4, "God, I have glorified you on the earth. I have finished the work which you have given me to do."

That doesn't mean He finished all the work possible to do. No, Jesus left many things unfinished—for now. (He's coming back, remember.)

But our Lord, in His first advent, finished all the work the Father gave Him to do AT THAT TIME.

• He followed the Father's blueprint, staying closely attuned to His will (Luke 22:42).
• He was sent to "seek and save that which is lost" and provide atonement for all who would put their trust in Him (Luke 19:10; Romans 3:23-25). 
• Jesus completed His work on the cross—not turning away from it (Hebrews 12:2-3).
• He rightly said of His sacrifice for sinner, "it is finished" (John 19:30). 
• And Jesus discipled and commissioned those who would share the good news of salvation after He returned to heaven (Matthew 28:16-20).

Finishing well, for Jesus, required commitment, faithfulness, obedience, and vigilance—the same qualities we need to finish well.

2. Powerful Perspective: WHY is it important to finish well?

It's important for at least three reasons.

First: It's important to Jesus that we finish well.

Christians in earlier generations made much of the parable Jesus taught in Matthew 25:14-30, the parable of the talents. Two faithful servants used what their master had given them (bags of gold) to increase his wealth, but one foolish servant failed to even invest it. The two faithful servants heard, "Well done, good and faithful servant" (Matthew 25:21, 23).

Jesus shared that parable to help His disciples undertand not everyone will finish well, and He WANTED them to finish well.

"Well done" are the words every committed Christian longs to hear from Jesus someday in heaven. To hear those words, a person must be a genuine believer (Hebrews 11:6) and commit to faithfully serve and obey Jesus as Lord (Luke 6:46).

Martin R. De Haan II said, "Finishing well is the right way for a Christian to close the final chapter of life's book. It testifies to the reality of our faith. It leaves for those who remain a legacy of inspiring memories."

As I'm writing the final chapters of my life, I want to finish well, with purpose, wisdom, strength, and joy.

Second: What we do today matters in eternity, so we need to keep that in mind.

Years ago, a friend, Ken Nichols, shared an acronym that has helped me keep a proper perspective on life. To be fully ALIVE, he said, means "Always Living In View of Eternity." As wonderful as this life can be, we're not to just live for today. We were made for eternity.

J.D. Greear says that in Luke 12 there are three ways to live in light of eternity:

• Be awake to your task (Luke 12:37);
• Be confident of Jesus' return (Luke 12:40); and
• Be faithful to your charge (Luke 12:45-48).

In other words, be alert to God's will and active in your task, remembering that Jesus could return at any moment—and you will want to be found faithful.

Third, there are crowns to be won!

The New Testament mentions five crowns:

• the imperishable crown—it will "last forever" (1 Corinthians 9:24-25),
• the crown of rejoicing (1 Thessalonians 2:19),
• the crown of righteousness (2 Timothy 4:8),
• the crown of glory (1 Peter 5:4),
• and the crown of life—the "victor's crown" (Revelation 2:10).

3. Productive Preparation: HOW do we go about finishing well?

So we know the who and the why of finishing well . . . but how?

A key word that kept popping out as I studied how to finish well was "prepare." God doesn't want us to be lazy or thoughtless concerning spiritual maturity and obedience.

I love the proverb about the ant who stored up provisions in summer and harvest (Proverbs 6:6-11). Solomon addressed the person who foolishly did not prepare in life, saying, "How long will you lie there, you sluggard?"

The Lord wants us to prepare wisely to be a productive servant . . . every single day.

(That doesn't mean we can't rest, as long as our final season doesn't become one big rest stop! And we can vacation, but we must never vacate our position as an ambassador of Christ, wherever we are!)

Preparing to finishing well is a heart attitude and a mindset.

Dr. Paul Chappell wrote about being "finish ready"—being "ever-ready" for that moment when "our ship will leave the harbor" for heaven.

Preparation can take many shapes. For me, it involves watchfulness, being a person who remembers to "love His appearing" (2 Timothy 4:8b). It means watching and eagerly waiting for my Lord's immenent return.

It also means submission to Jesus as Lord, the kind of humble surrender that leads to obedience and service. We cannot call Jesus "Lord" (ruler over us) while refusing to do what He says (Luke 6:46).

It means spiritual growth—not being content with where we are spiritually. It means falling more in love with God's Word, increasing in our love and devotion toward Him, growing in grace and wisdom, etc. Essentially, it's upgrading all the "basics" of the Spirit-led Christian life.

We have to persevere in these things, and when we do, there is great reward. The writer of Hebrews said, "You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. For 'In just a little while, he who is coming will come and will not delay'" (Hebrews 10:36-37).

4. Practical Picture: WHAT does it look like to finish well?

Althought the goals are the same—to love and honor God and obey Him—finishing well will probably look different in individuals.

For me, it's writing the book that is in my heart, preparing my family for when I go to heaven, and continuing to reach out to my neighbors.

For you, finishing well might look like this:

• Cultivating you Marriage to the glory of God—drawing closer to your spouse in every way.
• Considering what kind of legacy you're leaving your children and grandchildren—and if that doesn't look like what you want, what can you do to change it?
• Working on difficult relationships . . . like finally talking to that person you offended with a spirit of reconciliation—or to the person who offended you, with a spirit of forgiveness.
• Getting finances in order so your family won't be saddled with debt and so you can invest in a ministry.
• Giving more of your time and resources to people and ministries instead of buying more stuff.
• Finishing a beloved project, maybe something powerful to help the needy in your community.
• Serving in church in a more impactful way, remembering we never "retire" from all Christian service.
• Going on a ministry trip while you are still physically able to serve.
• Knowing you are ready to enter eternity when you lie on your deathbed

This is more than a bucket list. It's a Prepare to Finish Well list. And we all need to make one and take some productive action every day.

A suggested prayer: 

"Father God, please help me finish the work You've given me, and help me finish it well. Show me how to live in light of eternity, all for Your glory and the praise of Your name." Because of Jesus, Amen.

What does finishing well look like in your life, your circumstances? How can you prepare better to finish well?

Dawn Wilson, founder and President of Heart Choices Today, is a speaker and author, and the creator the blog, Upgrade with Dawn. She is a contracted researcher/reviewer for women's teacher and revivalist, Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth at Revive Our Hearts, and is a regular columnist at Crosswalk.com. She and her husband Bob live in sunny Southern California, and Dawn has traveled with Him in Pacesetter Global Outreach. They have two grown, married sons, three granddaughters and a rascally maltipoo, Roscoe

Graphic adapted, courtesy of Silvia at Pixabay.

'Jesus, Help Me Love You More!'

In this Spiritual Growth UPGRADE, Dawn reflects on our love for God—why do we lack in love, what does our Savior think about our love, and what can we do to grow our love?

Have you ever read a story in the Bible, and the Holy Spirit took you down a different path than you ever would have expected—a "rabbit trail" that led to a deeply personal lesson?

That happened to me.

It was while reading the story of Jesus healing a boy who was possessed by an impure spirit (Mark 9:14-29). The boy's desperate father brought the boy to Jesus, saying, "if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us."

Jesus noted the "if," and then said, "Everything is possible for one who believes."

The father immediately exclaimed, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!"

That was quite an admission. The father recognized that he DID have some faith—otherwise he never would have brought his son to Jesus.

But he also had doubts. He needed help from Jesus to go further into faith.

As I read this conversation, I felt a twinge of conviction. But it wasn't about faith. The Holy Spirit zeroed in on the depth of my love for Jesus—or rather, how weak it was.

I cried out to Jesus,  

"Dear Jesus, I do love you. But help my lack of love . . . help me love you more!"

I believed that He would help me with my weak love, just like he helped that desperate father with his weak belief.

Over time, I considered some of the things that hindered that love, and things I could do or change to refresh and grow my love for Jesus.

Four Ways to Grow Your Love for Jesus

1. Remember the Love Jesus Expressed on the Cross.

Jesus said,

"Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends" (John 15:13 NIV).

Jesus loved us so much that He went to the cross to die for our sins and—when we trust in that sacrifice—secure eternity for us in Heaven.  

The Lord's love for us is mysterious and extraordinary, and our love for Him should reflect that.

The Savior chose to love us while we were wretched sinners (Romans 5:8), so unlike Himself, so that He could make us more like Him (2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 John 3:5; Romans 8:29).

When we begin to take that for granted, we become ungrateful for His grace and mercy, and our love for Him cools.

When we remember the cross, it should motivate our love for our Savior.

2. Believe that When Jesus Died, It Was for You, Personally.

It's one thing to believe that Jesus died for the world, but we may forget that, by application, He died for us as individuals—as if we were the only one needing salvation.

The childhood song says it well: "Jesus loves ME, this I know. . . . " The message of the gospel is a love letter to us. We love Him because He first loved us (1 John 4:19).

3. Pray for a Deeper Manifestation of His Love.

Jesus cannot love us any more—He demonstrated His love in dying for us (Romans 5:8; 1 John 4:9-10).

But that does not mean that His love cannot be more deeply manifest to us—made more evident or certain, or displayed to make clear or more easily recognized.

We keep the Lord's commands because we love Him; and Jesus said when we keep His commands, He will love us and "show" Himself to us (John 14:21).

Also, His love is made "complete in us" when we love one another (1 John 4:12).

4. Allow Christ's Love to Stir Up Your Own Love.

Just as we warm ourselves by a fire, we can kindle love for Jesus as we sit by the "fire" of His love.

Once that love is kindled, we can encourage it to burn hot through a number of actions.

We can:

• Read and meditate on Jesus and the "law of the Lord" (Psalm 1:2; Hebrews 12:2a).
• Speak about the Lord and help others see Him more clearly—"bring them" to Jesus.
• Be careful not to displease of offend Him—how can we say we love Him when we cherish the sins for which He died, when we place people and things ahead of Him?
• Stand against the Lord's enemies—Matt. 5:43-44 tells us to love our enemies; but realize that we must never compromise with the stated enemies of Christ (cp. Psalm 139:19-21).
• Hate sin (Proverbs 8:13)—and love, respect, and obey God's commands.
• Abide in, live in, Jesus—remembering that Jesus abides with us as we abide in Him (1 John 2:28 ESV; 1 John 3:24; 4:13).
• Pray continually—keep the connection with Jesus "live" and active (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
• Praise and worship Him, remembering that God "inhabits" the praises of His people—He loves to dwell there (Psalm 22:3 KJV).
• Be ready to forsake or lose any lesser things, if need be . . . for Him (Matthew 10:37; Luke 16:13; John 15:19).

So, yes, we trust that Jesus will help us in response to our prayer for deeper love for Him, but there are also many things we can do to improve it ourselves.

Every one of God's children should be growing in love for Him and for His Son, Jesus. If we're not, we need to seriously consider what is standing in the way.

Do you need to pray what I did—"Lord, I love You . . . help me love You more"? Do you see any hindrances to God not answering that prayer?

Dawn Wilson, founder and President of Heart Choices Today, is a speaker and author, and the creator the blog, Upgrade with Dawn. She is a contracted researcher/reviewer for women's teacher and revivalist, Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth at Revive Our Hearts, and is a regular columnist at Crosswalk.com. She and her husband Bob live in sunny Southern California, and Dawn has traveled with Him in Pacesetter Global Outreach. They have two grown, married sons, three granddaughters and a rascally maltipoo, Roscoe.

Graphic adapted, courtesy of Radu Florin at Unsplash.

You Have to Finish to 'Finish Well'!

In this Finishing Well UPGRADE, Dawn examines some of the ways we can obey God to finish well, and also why we may not finish projects or accomplish goals.

Many Christians are familiar with the parable of the talents (bags of gold) in Matthew 25:14-30. Jesus told a story about two faithful servants who were good stewards of what they had been given, increasing their master's wealth. Their master praised them, saying (vv. 21 and 23), "Well done, good and faithful servant."

For many years I've heard sermons and conference messages about how wonderful it will be to hear Jesus say that to believers for their stewardship on earth.

But the thought hit me recently, "You have to actually finish in order to 'finish well.'" I'll address that later in this post.

But first, What hinders us from finishing well?

I think the biggest hindrance to our finishing well is a matter of obedience.

When God makes clear to us a command, a responsibility, or some other point of action, we need to obey. My favorite evangelist, Del Fehsenfeld, Jr., said, "Obedience is doing exactly what God says, when He says it, with a happy face."

Obey completely, immediately, and with the right heart attitude.

So why, when God makes it clear He wants us to do something, do we lag behind—or worse, fail to move into action.

In Psalm 119, chapter one, I see at least three ways we fail in our goal of finishing well.

1. We fail to Submit to God's Word (Psalm 119:1-2a, 4)

The psalmist says,

"Blessed (happy) are those whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the LORD. Blessed are those who keep his statutes . . . You have laid down precepts that are to fully obeyed."

God gives us commands, instructions, and rules guiding behavior. When we are not diligent to submit God and His Word, it will be harder to and keep His laws, statutes, and precepts—the responsibilities He places upon His people.

We can be in utter rebellion against something we read in the Bible, or subtly resisting it.

The devil doesn't care which it is.

Finishing well requires that we yield to the Word of God, and allow the Holy Spirit to use the Word to teach, guide, and correct us.

2. We Fail to Seek God with Our Whole Heart (Psalm 119:2b)

The psalmist tells readers to seek God "with all their heart," not part of it.

Partial, unenthusiastic love leads to partial, unenthusiastic obedience.

Deuteronomy 6:5 exhorts us to love God with ALL our heart, soul, and strength. No room for half-hearted love there.

Loving God extravagantly is how we obey Him "with a happy face."

Perhaps our lack of genuine love for God comes from not recognizing Him as the "first love" of our lives. We forget what it was like to be a new believer and our pledge to follow Jesus anywhere and obey Him in all things.

Truly loving God motivates us to want to obey Him. 

"Love the LORD your God and keep his requirements, his decrees, his laws and his commands always" (Deuterionomy 11:1).

Finishing well is more than doing all the right things; it is being right with God—in a vital, loving relationship with Him.

3. We Fail to Walk in God's Ways (Psalm 119:3)

The psalmist says of those who are blessed, 

". . . they do no wrong but follow his ways."

Our many sins hinder us from obeying God completely and immediately: selfishness, pride, fear, unbelief, giving in to ungodly peer pressure, love of people rather than God, greed and coventousness, anger, lust, etc.

King Saul disobeyed God because he was "afraid" of what people might say (1 Samuel 15:1-3, 12-29), and it cost him his kingdom. He did not finish well.

Finishing well requires the desire to walk with God in purity, and persistence in keeping short accounts with God concerning our sin.

The Goal is to Obediently, Faithfully Finish!

Certainly God can redirect us to new goals—which might include abandoning old ones.

And some people die before "finishing" their goals; but God weighs our success in terms of obedience and faithfulness to His goals for us.

But here's a practical point to ponder. In a November 22, 2021, motivational podcast "Finish More Goals by Asking 1 Surprising Question," Jon Acuff, author of Finish: Give Yourself the Gift of Done, said if we are not finishing our goals, we should ask,

"What am I getting out of NOT finishing?"

He explored three possible responses (summarized here):

• By not finishing, we control the outcome.
• By not finishing, we get praise for being a martyr, for being noble.
• By not finishing, we have lowered expectations from others—rather than building up a reputation of faithfulness and success that we have to live up to.

I have seen all three of those responses activated at certain points in my own life. Even worse, sometimes I don't even begin because of fear of failing or fear of others' opinions.

Acuff said,

"If what you gain by not finishing is greater than what you get out of finishing, you'll always be stuck."

If we are going to finish well—especially in the spiritual realm—we need to obediently begin and faithfully finish what God has asked us to do, regardless of our own fears and inadequacies, regardless of others' opinions, and regardless of the consequences.

To summarize, we finish well by loving and submitting to God and His Word, and then walking in His ways—keeping in mind that we can not only hear the Father's "well done," but there are also crowns to be won!

What is keeping you from finishing well? What is keeping you from finishing at all—or even not beginning? What can you do, starting today, to change that?

Dawn Wilson, founder and President of Heart Choices Today, is the creator the blog, Upgrade with Dawn. She works part time at Revive Our Hearts, and is a regular columnist at Crosswalk.com. She and her husband Bob live in sunny Southern California, and they have two grown, married sons, three granddaughters and a rascally maltipoo, Roscoe.

Graphic adapted, courtesy of Joshua Hoehne at Unsplash.

3 Kinds of 'Holding' in a Hope-filled Life

Recently, I took time to meditate on the words "holds" and "holding" in the Bible, and the study blessed and encouraged me. In this Christian Life UPGRADE, I want to share what I found.

There are three kinds of "holding" in a hope-filled life. Let's explore each of these.

1. We Hold onto Jesus.

The song "Anchor" by Hillsong Worship says, "I have this hope as an anchor for my soul; Through every storm I will hold to You."

There is a sense in which we "hold" onto Christ. We anchor our lives in Jesus, our Savior; we hold on tightly to Him.

Hebrews 6:18b-19a says,

. . . we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul. . . . (ESV).

What does that mean? It means we hold tight to the anchor of the promises of God for our salvation. We cling to the old rugged cross and our Lord's sacrifice for sin.

We trust in Jesus alone, believing what God has told us about sending Jesus to be the Savior (1 John 4:14), and that we will have eternal life through Him (John 3:16, 36; 5:24; 6:40; 10:28-30; 17:3; Romans 6:23; 1 John 5:11, 13; 2:25 ).

He is our only hope.

2. God Holds onto Us.

The song "He Will Hold Me Fast" by Ada Habershon and popularized by Keith & Kristyn Getty and Selah, best exemplifies this.

"He'll not let my soul be lost, His promises shall last.

Bought by Him at such a cost, He will hold me fast."

The song reminds us that Father God will hold onto us, His redeemed children,

• when we fear our faith will fail,
• when the tempter seems to prevail, and
• when our love grows cold.

One line especially spoke to my heart. While it is crucial that I hold onto Jesus,

"I could never keep my hold,

He must hold me fast."

My salvation is not a matter of my holding out until Jesus returns, but rather on God's eternal plan and purposes, and our Heavenly Father's commitment to hold tight onto those who have trusted in His Son.

He holds us fast when we are marked with the seal of the Holy Spirit—our Father's guarantee of redemption to the praise of His glory (Eph. 1:11-14).

Consider the wonder of Father God taking us by the hand:

• Even if others abandon us, He takes us in and holds us close (Psalm 27:10 NLT).
• As His hand holds us, He carries us along, leading and saving us (Psalm 139:10; Isaiah 46:4 ESV).
• He takes hold of our hand and holds us up with his victorious right hand (Isaiah 41:10, 13; Psalm 63:8 ESV).
• His presence is so near that He has, in fact, engraved us on the palms of His hands (Isaiah 49:16 ESV).

That last verse is such a comfort.

Can you imagine having your picture (Amplified), or your name (NLT) being carved into God's hands? The symbolism is so beautiful.

In Psalm 73, the seer (prophet) and psalmist, Asaph, testified to the close relationship he experienced with God, even though he had almost lost his footing spiritually (vs. 2), and even though he felt bitter, foolish, and arrogant (vv. 21-22).

Furthermore, Asaph proclaimed that even if his health failed him and his spirit grew weak, God was his forever! (v. 26)

That is truth for all of us who know the Lord. God's children belong to Him and He holds their hands (Psalm 73:23 NLT), even when they feel they are falling apart.

We are safe with God, no matter what happens in this life.

How wonderful to be firmly held onto by the Father, now and forever.

When I was a mom with young boys, I noticed the freedom they felt when I held their hands in dangerous situations. They felt protected. Their hearts were at ease.

That is the freedom we feel when we remember that Father God holds our hand. We experience peace because He is with us.

3. We Hold Fast Our Confession of Faith.

Hebrews 10:23 tells us to hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful (ESV).

To hold fast is to hold firmly. Confession can also be translated "profession"—what we profess.

The writer of Hebrews is saying, "Keep a firm grip on what you have professed and affirmed, that your hope, your confidence, is that God can be trusted to keep His promises."

Holding fast to our confession also means we must display our faith in God and our loyalty to Him in a public way. 

God doesn't call "secret service Christians."

We are to declare verbally (Romans 10:9) what we have believed for salvation. We must be faithful witnesses.

When we consider that God is holding us firmly, something should happen in our thoughts and emotions. We should be motivated to share what God has done in us, for us, and through us.

Philippians 2:14-16a says,

Do all things without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the mist of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life . . . . (ESV).

There are two ways to look at that scripture.

First, we're to "hold fast." As we hold onto Jesus and rejoice that the Father is holding onto us, Paul says we have the responsibility to be powerful examples in our generation. And how do we do that? By "holding fast to the word of life."  

We hold firmly to what we have been taught and what we know about Jesus, who is the living Christ (1 John 1:1).

But there's another application.

The Amplified version of Philippians 2:16 reads this way: holding out and offering to everyone the word of life.

In other words, we invite those around us to receive the same hope in Jesus that we have. We do that as we witness to them with our words, not only our lives.

As we live for the Lord in practical ways, and cooperate with the Holy Spirit in conforming us to Christ's likeness, others will see God operating in us—and perhaps they will be more inclined to listen to our testimony.

The Christian life is full of hope, and we have the responsibility and joy to share with others how to know Christ.

So remember:

• We hold onto Jesus.
• Greater still, God holds onto us.
• And we hold firmly to our testimony—we hold forth the word of life to others.

Which of these kinds of "holding" do you need to focus on today?

Dawn Wilson, founder and President of Heart Choices Today, is a speaker and author, and the creator the blog, Upgrade with Dawn. She is a contracted researcher/reviewer for women's teacher and revivalist, Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth at Revive Our Hearts, and is a regular columnist at Crosswalk.com. She and her husband Bob live in sunny Southern California, and Dawn has traveled with Him in Pacesetter Global Outreach. They have two grown, married sons, three granddaughters and a rascally maltipoo, Roscoe.

Graphic adapted, courtesy of D Mz at Pixabay.