Remember
the old Maxwell House coffee commercial and its motto, “Good to the last drop”?
Even if you don’t – I think it’s been years since they used that ad slogan – if
you look at the labels of Maxwell House coffees, you’ll still see the image of
a tilted coffee cup releasing its last drop.
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| Coffee, and life, should be "good to the last drop." |
I mention
this not to promote a particular caffeine producer – don’t mean to slight the
Folgers, Starbucks, Dunkin’ Donuts, or McDonald’s folks – but the last drop concept seems a fitting
metaphor for a life that’s been well-lived.
Without
intending to seem morbid, I remember several people over my lifetime who
literally dropped dead while engaged in some type of activity. One was cutting
grass, another had laid down for a quick nap, and yet another was in the middle
of his daily jog. There have been others, but a common denominator of the three
individuals I cite is they were still actively involved in serving their Lord
when their days on earth abruptly came to an end.
Nearing the
close of another decade myself, this raises a question I hope to answer in the affirmative:
“Will I finish well?” I used to think such a consideration was reserved only
for men and women well into their senior years. But I’ve come to realize the
secret to a life that’s “good to the last drop” is striving to make the best of
every day we have, whether we’re 18, 28, 48 or 88.
Sadly, I’ve
also known people who failed to finish well. Whose “last drop” wasn’t all that
good. They got off to a good start – like the field at the start of a NASCAR
race, all bright and shiny, no dents. Full of energy. Then somewhere along the
line they spun out, had a flat tire and banged against the wall, or drove to
the pits and never came back out.
Ah, but I
mix my metaphors. Did you ever find yourself enjoying a nice cup of coffee…until
the end, when the last sip filled your mouth with a bunch of grounds? Yuck! One
of our regular coffee places – it shall remain nameless – has a nasty habit of including
little coffee crunchies in its hazelnut blend. Some things I like crunchy, but
not my coffee. So, I have great appreciation for brews that are good to the
last drop – as well as lives.
Why is it
that some start their lives – and their walk of faith – strong, continue with
consistency and finish well, while others don’t? The problem, it seems, isn’t so
much with the ending as it is with the beginning. J.D. Greear recently made
this observation: “Faith that fizzles before the finish was flawed from the
first.” His alliteration is clever, but the meaning is profound.
Perhaps
that is why the apostle Paul encouraged believers in the church at Colossae, “having been firmly rooted
and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were
instructed, and overflowing with gratitude” (Colossians 2:7). Just as a plant
must be firmly rooted to grow properly, faith also must be deeply rooted into
Jesus Christ as the foundation.
Writing to his protégé, Timothy, Paul also exhorted, “Do
your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not
need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth” (2
Timothy 2:15). Rather than being guided by feelings, whims, or even the
opinions of others, Paul taught Timothy to anchor himself in the timeless,
changeless truths of the Scriptures.
Heeding his own advice, the apostle could say near the end
of his life, “…Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,
I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me
heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13-14). This kind of resolve can’t be established by
someone “prepping for the finals.” It’s a lifelong pursuit. If not already
underway, it must start now.
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