Greg's Notes

20/20 Vision

John 11

I’m a procrastinator by nature. I’ll start something and not finish it. I’ll clean up a mess and then I get right to the end and I’ll leave three things out. I’ll say, “I’ll get to it later,” and that will be the seed for the new mess.

God doesn’t do that. He finishes what He starts. He started a work in your life. He wants to continue it, but for that to happen you need to keep your eyes on Him. Run the race for Him because He ran His race for you.

Practical Principles

  1. You will run well knowing you’re in good company. We are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses and we benefit from the examples and experiences of so many Bible heroes and Christians throughout history.
  2. We need to run this race to win. Discipline yourself. Apply yourself. Go for the gold and run with the intention of winning.
  3. To win the race of life, you need to run light. The sins and the weights and relationships that slow us down need to be removed from our lives.
  4. Christians who want to win the race of life run hard. We need to have spiritual grit and determination—a patient persistence that is often developed in times of hardship.
  5. If you want to move forward in this race, you can’t look back or live in the past. Don’t be influenced by the things behind you. Instead keep your focus forward.

Relevant Reminders

  • God says, “Your sins and iniquities will I remember no more.” That does not mean that God is going to have a lapse in memory; it means that He will no longer hold our sin against us.
  • Ecclesiastes 7:8 says, “Finishing is better than starting.” It doesn’t matter if you start well; it matters if you finish well.
  • Show me your friends, and I’ll show you your future. 

Applicable Actions

We need vision for our own spiritual life. This means committing ourselves to things that matter. This means opening the Bible every day. Do you do that? Commit or recommit yourself to the study of Scripture. Also commit or recommit yourself in church. Be an active part of your church.

And finally, we need a vision for lost people. We need to see nonbelievers as Christ sees them. You’ll have to leave your comfort zone, but I think you’ll be glad that you did because one of the greatest joys I know is seeing someone come to Jesus.