It's The Way We Finish

I have been a life-long football fan. Probably not the fanatic that often characterizes died-in-the-wool fans, but a fan nonetheless. So, my adrenalin flows in high gear around the first of September and some even this time of year with all the hoopla that surrounds the Super Bowl.

In football, as it is with most sports, the teams that play for the championship have had their ups and downs through the season, but have to be playing well at the end to make it to title game. In other words, it is not always how they start the season, but the way they finish that makes the difference.

This applies to individuals as well as teams. For example, one of the football greats of years gone by is Terry Bradshaw. He has been inducted into the halls of fame for both college and professional football. However, his success did not come overnight.

When he graduated from Louisiana Tech in 1970 he was the number one draft pick in professional football. The honor to choose this treasure went to the Pittsburg Steelers. Their hopes for the future ran high with this top-notch quarterback. However, their hopes surely turned to doubts quickly as their new star had trouble adjusting to the professional level. The first year he threw only six touchdown passes while throwing twenty-four interceptions. In fact, he completely less than forty percent of his passes which was dismal, even for a rookie. He could have hung up his cleats- - but he didn't.

After a couple of years, Bradshaw managed to turn his game around and led the Steelers to four Super Bowl championships in six years. In two of those championships he was the MVP. He garnered numerous other awards during his career to prove himself as one of the best quarterbacks to ever play the game. His great finish makes us forget his slow start.

The same principle applies to our spiritual walk. It is quite common to trip and stumble along the way, but the important thing is how we finish. Even the apostle Paul started as a persecutor of the church, but ended with eternal victory (2 Timothy 4:6-8). The same can be true for you and me!