Succeeding at Finishing a Life Well-Lived

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7).

These words were penned by the apostle Paul toward the end of his life, sent to his young protégé, Timothy. But they could just as easily have been authored by Dr. Billy Graham, who last week passed from this life into the next at the age of 99. It’s hard to think of another human who had as much influence on as many lives as did Dr. Graham during his ministry of more than six decades.

Dr. Billy Graham, faithful to the end.

Even though his evangelistic ministry came to an end years ago, and before then had been curtailed sharply because of declining health, there remain millions of men and women around the world who can trace the beginnings of their spiritual journey to attending one of the Billy Graham crusades. Through those meetings, his TV and radio broadcasts, and many books, Dr. Graham was steadfast to the end in affirming that Jesus’ declaration was true when He said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).

The revered evangelist cut through denominational, social, cultural, ethnic and even political boundaries, remaining true to his call to preach the gospel to peoples in all nations, a mission he began in the 1940s. For many years Dr. Graham ranked at or near the top of lists of the most-admired people in the world, but it wasn’t an honor that affected him.

I had the privilege of meeting Dr. Graham once, in the early 1990s. He was a guest speaker at a convention of the Evangelical Press Association in Asheville, N.C. As a member of the EPA board, I had joined other directors at the head table and we greeted him as he arrived, one at a time.

What impressed me most about Dr. Graham was not his stature, although he was a tall man, nor his resonant voice. It was his humility. As a journalist for many years, I’ve had the opportunity to meet many famous people. In the majority cases, I’ve had the sense they were thinking, “What a pleasure it is for you to meet me!” But not with Dr. Graham. He and I talked perhaps for two minutes, but he looked straight in my eyes and for that brief moment, showed genuine interest in me, not simply shrugging me off as one of the countless millions with whom he had shaken hands over the years.

Billy Graham, of course, was just a man, not some superhero. But perhaps more than anyone I have encountered in life – more than most of us might encounter in life – he exemplified what the apostle Paul declared to an eclectic bunch of Greek listeners at the famed Areopagus, “For in him [Jesus Christ] we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28).

One of the most difficult things, if not THE most difficult thing, for followers of Jesus Christ to accomplish in their lives is to finish well. Anyone can get off to a good start, doing and saying the right things as they embark on their walk with Christ. But many fall by the wayside – some quickly, others many years later. Dr. Graham, however, succeeded. He finished well.

In another letter toward the end of his ministry, the apostle wrote, “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). Dr. Billy Graham has reached his goal and won the prize; he didn’t stop before reaching the finish line. One day, may the same be said of us. 

Whose Job Is Most Important?

What if someone came to your workplace – or even your home – and asked, “Whose job is the most important here?” How would you answer?

Our typical first response would be whoever ranks the highest in the organization’s pecking order. In a business or non-profit, that’s usually the president, CEO or owner. In a church it most likely would be the senior pastor. In a school it would be the principal. And in a home it could be either the husband or wife – that might depend on which one you asked.

But is this really true? Is the most important person the individual with the uppermost position in the company, or the person who’s paid the most, or the top-producing salesperson? Maybe – and maybe not.

The importance of one's job
depends on what needs to be
done - and when it's needed.

Suppose the guest restroom right off the lobby is dirty and stinky, and representatives for an important client are expected to arrive within the next half hour. How important is the custodian then?

Or consider the scenario when the celebrated, nationally known speaker has just arrived and is scheduled to address an eager audience in 10 minutes. Suddenly the power goes out, the room goes dark, and confusion is about to assume its reign. Whose job is most important now? It would probably be the in-house electrician, or the IT person if the problem happens to be computer-related.

The patient has undergone major surgery and seems to be recovering well. The renowned surgeon has done an amazing job saving the woman’s life. A few hours later, however, she begins experiencing a setback and the surgeon has long since left the hospital. The nurse arrives at the patient’s room, find her in great distress, and immediately springs into action. At that moment, whose job is most important – the surgeon’s or the nurse’s?

We tend to assign importance to those with the most power, prestige, wealth and other status measurements. In reality, however, the most important job belongs to the person that must perform the work urgently required at the moment.

In his heyday, evangelist Billy Graham attracted millions of men, women and children to his crusades, and through those events God changed countless lives. But as gifted as Dr. Graham was, he could never have made the impact that he did were it not for the organizers of the crusades; the people who coordinated arrangements at the various venues; those that got out the publicity, and especially those that invited friends and family members to hear him preach about Jesus. So, whose jobs were more important – Dr. Graham’s or all the other folks?

The apostle Paul might not have been writing about jobs specifically, but he addressed this when he exhorted believers in the church at Philippi, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look out not only for your own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Philippians 2:3-4).

In other words, he could have said, “It’s not all about you,” or “You’re not as important as you might think you are.”

But there’s another side to this matter of important jobs. A bit later in the passage, Paul refers to the One who without question had the most important job, yet performed it with humility and without fanfare: “And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death, even death on a cross:” (Philippians 2:8).

This season, as we ponder the baby Jesus nestled in a manger in a smelly, noisy stable, let’s keep this image in the proper context. Without the cross, there would be no Christmas. No nativity scene. There was a crucially important job to be done – and only one person that could do it. And that’s why He came. While you’re nibbling on Christmas cookies, chew on that for a while.

The Rutted Road to Finishing Well

This week I wrote about an American icon, Dr. Billy Graham, who marked his 93^rd birthday. Despite the debilitating effects of Parkinson’s Disease, the revered evangelist has remained steadfast in his resolve to live for Christ and proclaim Him to others. By all accounts, he is finishing well.

Also this week, another American icon, legendary Penn State football coach Joe Paterno, has been the focus of much attention. Unfortunately, the spotlight has been not nearly as flattering for “Joe Pa.”

The all-time winningest coach at the big-time college level, the 84-year-old Paterno is now facing harsh scrutiny and criticism. He failed to be more forthright upon learning of his longtime No. 1 assistant and once “heir apparent,” Jerry Sandusky, sexually abusing young boys over many years. New developments in this scandal seem to be unfolding by the hour.

Wednesday Paterno announced he will retire at the end of this season. In a formal statement, he expressed regrets about the sad drama and said, “I wish I had done more.”

“I wish I had done more.” That reminded me of the powerful film, “Schindler’s List.” It’s about Oscar Schindler, a prosperous businessman who undertook a courageous strategy to save as many Jews as possible from the Nazi concentration camps. Despite having intervened to save hundreds of Jews from certain death, in a closing scene he laments, “I wish I had done more.”

Unlike Schindler, who acted at great risk and personal cost (even though not a Jew), it appears Paterno did little more than the bare minimum. With almost mythical status and power in his community, the coach certainly didn’t need to wait for his athletic director or other officials to act. Legally, it seems, Paterno had covered his bases – but morally, he could have done more. Much more.

Now, because he didn’t, numerous young men will carry scars from their encounters with a predatory adult for years, even a lifetime.

But beneath the horror of this specific tale lies a profound truth: It’s relatively easy to start well – it’s finishing well that’s problematic. The road is rutted, filled with potholes, but it’s the course we each must follow. A noble life, characterized by kind and charitable acts, can still become derailed if we’re not careful.

It’s not a matter of being judgmental. Just as poet Robert Frost wrote, I still have “miles to go before I sleep.” And if my life has any meaningful legacy at all, it can’t be tarnished by stupid decisions – or indecision – even late in my life.

That’s probably why, at the close of his life, the apostle Paul wrote – maybe with a sigh of relief – “I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7).

Happy Birthday, Dr. Graham!

Last week we marked the Statue of Liberty’s 125^th anniversary; today we celebrate another American icon – Dr. Billy Graham – who turns 93.

Dr. Graham, according to all accounts, has truly done it right. A firebrand as a young evangelist, his style mellowed somewhat over the succeeding years, but he never lost his focus – or zeal for Jesus Christ and telling others about Him.

He was sometimes criticized for befriending Presidents on all sides of the spectrum, but in reality, politics was never Jesus’ thing either. His boldest political statement was “render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s” (Mark 12:17). Jesus said His kingdom is not of this world, and Dr. Graham has devoted a lifetime to pointing people to that kingdom.

I met him years ago at a Christian journalists’ conference. We talked for only about two minutes, but for that brief encounter Dr. Graham’s attention was fully directed at me, not the next person in line.

Having been in parachurch ministry for more than 30 years, sadly I’ve met a number of celebrated leaders who exuded a “what a pleasure it is for you to meet me” attitude. But Dr. Graham was not one of them. Despite his fame and many accolades, this struck me as a man who genuinely reflected the character and humility of his Savior.

Having bid farewell to his beloved wife, Ruth, some years ago, Dr. Graham now anticipates his own homegoing. He addresses that in his newest book, Nearing Home. In it he writes, “We are not meant for this world alone. We are meant for Heaven, our final home.”

That does not mean followers of Jesus should not seek to have a positive influence on lives in this physical, material world, but our priorities should always remind us this life is not the destination – it’s only the first stage of an eternal journey.

There is no telling how many people have been touched through Dr. Graham’s ministry of more than six decades. But if each of us could have just one-tenth of one percent of that impact, this world no doubt would be a far better place.

So, happy birthday, Dr. Graham!