Motivation and Inspiration by Peter Mbada: Finish strong

Finish Strong!

A week in the woods

Last week I did something I hadn’t done in many years. It was holiday in Botswana from Wednesday through to the weekend. I decided to spend the long weekend in some remote eastern highlands’ villages in Zimbabwe in the mud-huts preaching the gospel of salvation to the unchurched. It was so fulfilling going door to door; sitting in the round mud smoky kitchens and leading those wonderful old people to the Lord. The message did not need to be complicated; it didn’t need to promise riches, success or prosperity; but it was just a simple sharing of the love of God; it was a sharing of the simple but profound message of John 3: 16. I slept in the car and I slept on the floor but I enjoyed every moment of it, seeing the young and the old; some who might never have had an opportunity to hear the true gospel, making decisions for Christ. We have a mandate to plunder hell and populate heaven.

Just one more step may be all you need!

To get to the village I drove over a thousand kilometres. Most of the road was very good except the very last 30 kilometers. The last 30 kilometers were rough, and bumpy; and it was in the bush. It took close to one and half hours to navigate the last 30 kilometers in the rough dirt road. This was after over 12 hours of driving. It was dark, in the middle of the bush and tired. There was a big temptation to just park under a tree take a nap and look for the village in the morning; but we made our minds we were going to get to our destination. The journey normally gets heavier when you are near your destination. The race gets tougher when you are approaching the finishing line; the darkest hour is just before dawn. Where you shed your tears is where your treasure is! When the going gets tough don’t throw in the towel; one more step may be all you need to make it.

Fight, race but don’t lose the faith!

Paul said, ‘I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith’ (2 Timothy 4 v 7). It was a mixed bag! He fought, he competed; but above all he kept the faith. He fought against sin; he fought against his adversaries, his enemies; he fought against fear and discouragement; he fought for the gospel and fought for his health. He fought for his life and for his survival. He experienced the sting of the blows; and the bruises of the fights. He experienced the joys of landing a good blow on his enemies and the pain of being on the receiving end of the punches in the battles. Above all, he kept the faith!

Finish strong

Paul ran the race to the finishing line. He competed against himself and against his potential. He used his talents and abilities to compete in every area of his life. He knew the joys of succeeding in the competition and the frustrations of failure when competing. Right up to the finishing line he kept the faith. Whatever he experienced and whatever he received; whatever he achieved and whatever he lost; he did not let go of his faith. He kept the faith to the end. Don’t take your successes into your heads and have them cause you to depart from the faith; don’t take the frustrations of loss and failure so badly that they move you from the faith. Determine to finish strong!

Whatever the season – remain standing!

You will experience different seasons in your life; you will experience sunrises and sunsets. You will have seasons of fighting; fighting for your success or fighting for your life; and you will compete in many aspects of your life. You will compete against others and you will compete against your own potential and calling. When you fight you will land some powerful blows on your opponents but they will also land some blows on you; some which may cause you to stumble. If you stumble you should always remember that the greatest wisdom in life is to know that when you fall seven times you can rise up 8 times. Determine to finish strong. Keep the faith to the end!

Whatever it is that life will bring your way – keep the faith; and determine to finish strong! How you finish is more important than how you begin!

Calvary love

Peter Mbada

Thanks for partnering with me in inspiring the world by purchasing a copy of ‘Destined to Succeed; Unstoppable and Unlimitable’; and by sharing this message!