Last month marked one year since I stepped away from the pastorate. I’ve shunned the term “retirement” like the plague, vowing to remain active in ministry and seeking to use the rest of my life to serve the Lord.
Over these past twelve months, the clamps of life have tightened considerably for us all. Personally, I’ve reflected more on both the starting and finish lines of my ministry. A number biblical passages come to mind as I’ve reflected on finishing well, but three texts from Paul’s ministry stand out.
1) “Fulfill your ministry” (Colossians 4:17).
Forty-two years ago as a Bible college student, I was drawn to Colossians 4:17. Paul’s words presented themselves as a challenge to my young and eager heart: “See that you fulfill the ministry that you have received in the Lord.”
At the time, I didn’t know what that “ministry” would look like, but I was committed to serving the Lord without an expiration date. So I applied those words to my heart the best I could. I prayed, “Whatever you have for me to do, Father, I will be committed to it . . . to its conclusion.”
I confess I haven’t always kept that
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