You can finish strong

2 Timothy 4:6-8
7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

God wants you to finish strong! However, I must warn you. The odds are stacked against you. A quick survey of the Bible reveals the sobering fact: many people start, but few have the courage and commitment to finish strong.

Finishing strong is not impossible but it is improbable. We must be willing to “fight the good fight of faith.” We have to fight because we face many things in this life that can distract, deter, and disconnect us from our relationship with God.

Every believer must work hard to resist the influence of the following:

The world
The flesh
The devil
In addition to the terrible trifecta mentioned above, we must also learn to deal with:

Character dysfunctions
Carnality
Crazy people
Finishing strong does not mean finishing perfect. No one is perfect. We will all make mistakes and have issues that God wants us to work on.

The Bible is full of example of people who had some major mess-ups but finished strong! Here are a few facts about the people who finished strong.

All who finished strong were previously involved in some type of sin (The Bible tells us that we have all sinned and come short of the glory of God Romans 3:23).
Some who finished strong waited until late in life to surrender to God.
Some who finished strong were considered to be utter failures at mid-life (Moses).
Some who finished strong found themselves in bitter circumstances, frustrated, disillusioned, and disappointed (Joseph).
Some who finished strong overcame personal failure and major setbacks by embracing the grace of God (Job).

Finishing strong can be done! The Apostle Paul did it. Joseph did it. Peter did it. John Mark did it. You can finish strong. However, remember this: finishing strong is not accomplished by exceptionally gifted or great people. It is accomplished by normal people who serve a great, awesome, and mighty God. It is accomplished by people who are committed, connected, teachable, and accountable!