My Race to Finish
(Ac. 20:23-24)
Living one and only life, we should realize the meaning of life and do our best efforts to achieve the goal in the Lord. By doing so, we should be praised as good and faithful servants when we stand before God.

1. The path of suffering and glory
Paul was passionate to persecute the early Christians as he was a conservative Pharisee. On the way to Damascus, he met Jesus as the light. Then, he was totally transformed to deliver the name of Jesus enthusiastically. As a result, he was considered a betrayer to his Jewish fellows and had taken a lot of troubles and hardships. (2 Cor. 11:23-26) However, he did not complain because he thought all the hardships were for the glory of Jesus. Holding the cross, he kept marching with faith. The way of following Jesus is related to both the way of hardships and glory. The Apostle Paul became martyr when he spread the Gospel. However, Jesus welcomed him with joy. He is praising God with crown put on his head.

2. The task the Lord has given me
The mission the Apostle Paul received from Jesus is to spread the Gospel of God. (Ac. 20:24) He was a lot dedicated to achieving this mission by being sacrificed to achieve the mission. What is the mission you have had from God? Realizing what the mission is in the Lord, we should take full responsibility to achieve the mission whatever we do and wherever we are. When our nation opened the door to Western Countries, many missionaries came to Korea to achieve their mission to spread the Gospel to us. Many of them became Martyrs. Likewise, we should do our best effort to love the church the body of Jesus and be devoted to spreading the Gospel all over the world.

3. A life that loves the church
Leaving for his last mission, Paul asked the leaders of the church to keep watch over them, be with the Holy Spirit and take care of the church which Jesus bought with his own blood. The head of the church becomes Jesus Christ, and the church becomes the body of the Christ. If we love Jesus, we should love the church enthusiastically. Furthermore, we should spread the Gospel with all our hearts. The Apostle Paul had devoted to making the church grow as well as spreading the Gospel. When we do our earnest efforts in loving the church, the body of Jesus and spreading the Gospel, God will lead our life safely.