Begin with the End in Mind

Many years ago, leadership author Stephen Covey coined the phrase “begin with the end in mind.” While that exact phrase never shows up in the scriptures, certainly the principle does. In Psalm 39, King David prays, “O LORD, make me know my end and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting I am.” Later on in Psalm 90, Moses prays something similar when he says, “Teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” The reality is all of us are quickly moving toward the end of our lives. When that day comes, will we feel grateful and at peace or will we feel full of despair and regrets? Will we feel satisfied in the things we have accomplished and, more importantly, the people we have become or will we feel like we let it all slip away? At the end of 2 Timothy, we see Paul assess both his life and ministry and, by the grace of God, he is able to say that he finished well. We all long to finish well, but it will not happen by default. What can we take away from Paul’s life in order to help us attain that goal?