Finishing Well: Closing Life’s Significant Chapters, 리더는 이미 본이 되어야 하는 자리에 있다

David W.R. Wong, Finishing Well: Closing Life’s Significant Chapters, Singapore, BAC, 2006 

 

1.     What is finishing well?

Acts 20:22-24

(1)   The value of a life’s perspective (view from the end)

(2)   The value of a clear conscience

(3)   The value of a lasting friendship (valued the people)

 

2.     Example of Jesus

The best example of a good closure – a perfect finish – is the Lord Jesus himself. On the cross, he declared, “it is finished.” Only the day before he had prayed to his Father, “I have glorified you on the earth. I have finished the work which you gave me to do.” (John 17:4) Jesus never took his eyes off his life’s mission. He was born to die. He lived with Calvary constantly on his horizon. He saw everything he did from the perspective of the end: to complete the work his Father had given him to do… Jesus said, “while I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled.” When Jesus gave an account of his life to his Father, he knew he had been faithful to the end. The same is true of his relationship with his disciples… “Greater love has on one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” He went on to call the, no longer ‘servant’ but ‘friend.’  (26-27)

 

3.     Saul: A Heart Too Hard

He started well, “an impressive young man without equal among the Israelites – a head taller than any of the others.” … Behind Saul’s action was an element of fear – fear that the people had become restless and were scattering. His leadership was in jeopardy…. As often the case, the fear of man easily displaces the fear of God… Saul’s reasons for keeping the animals tell us a lot about him… he claimed that he had kept the Lord’s directives… Again, he claimed that it was the soldiers who disobeyed. What a lame excuse! He was the king – he was to lead them, not to follow them! Saul finally came out with the real reason, “I was afraid of the people and so I gave in to them.” When we consider Saul in these two incidents, we find a consistent character flaw in his person. He did not take seriously the commands of the Lord, and he was unduly concerned about the wishes of the people. He submitted to the people rather than to God… Obeying God in what he commands takes precedence over offering God any service or sacrifice. … his concern was not his sin, but how he would appear in the eyes of the people…. Public honor, image and prestige had so consumed Saul that nothing else seemed to matter… The sin of pride is the worst of all sins… No sin can be forgiven if we do not admit to it, or do not repent of it… Finishing well requires us to deal ruthlessly with the sin of pride… Leaders, flushed with success and praise, buoyed by popularity, can fall prey to pride… Pride not only lifts the heart; it also hardens it. One attitude that has led to downfall of many leaders is the attitude of entitlement. “Entitlement is a deep-seated belief that I am special and above the rules. It also holds that I should be treated as special and should never have to endure the hardships others endure. As a character issue, entitlement falls somewhere between selfishness and arrogance.” …. A hardened heart leaves no place for repentance, forgiveness and growth… If we are to go the distance and finish well, let us keep the heart contrite and broken. (30-37)

 

4.     Solomon: A Life Too Soft

Many of us will not finish well because we lose sight of the main thing. We allow other things to intrude and obscure the main thing. We allow other things to intrude and obscure the main thing. How could Solomon, the wisest of wise men, fail to see this? Surely he knew what to do. Surely he had the wisdom to distinguish between right and wrong. Solomon’s failure sends a warning to all who desire to finish well. However wise we think we are, we are vulnerable… Solomon fell because of two reasons: One had to do with his many horses, and the other, his many wives…. “Spiritual leaders must understand that they are no more immune to moral failure than those they are leading. Therefore as they share their wisdom with others they should apply it to their own lives as well.” (Henry and Richard Blackaby, Spiritual Leadership: Moving People On To God’s Agenda (Nashville, Tennessee: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2001), 238. Knowing what to do is not enough. Knowing how to advise someone on what to do is not enough. Ultimately, it is a matter of the will: to do it, and to persist in doing it. (43-46)

 

5.     David: Hard and Soft in Right Places

To the end, David demonstrated two things: true repentance and resolute commitment…. In the long run, finishing well is not about what happened to us. It is about what we do with what happened.

 

6.     Samson: Fatal Ignorance

The story of Samson is a sad one. Seldom was a man in a better position to make a difference for his people – and he missed the opportunity. He was born for a destiny he never fulfilled, except for a passing moment in his death. Still it was too little, too late…. Samson was ignorant of his life’s calling, of his weakness, and of God... This is surprising since Samson had such an unusual birth and such godly parents… He mistook the battleground for a playground… He was unaware when God was present with him…. Finishing well requires us to know ourselves, and our God…. We become our own worst enemy – without knowing it.

 

7.     Eli: Fatal Indulgence

Broken neck and spineless life. No time, no limits. Why did the sons not listen to their father? One reason could be that Eli had never done anything beyond using words on his sons. Talk without action accomplished nothing…. Not only did the sins of the sons displease the Lord, the sin of the father also offended God. To Eli, God said, “Why do you scorn my sacrifice and offering made with fire by the Israelites? Why do you honour your sons more than me by fattening yourselves on the choice parts of every offering made by my people Israel?” The sins of the sons became the sin of the father…. He failed to honor God by disciplining his sons. (71) The failure of Eli was indulgence…. Nothing wrong in being kind – but everything is wrong then we are kind to the wrong persons, over the wrong things. In indulging, we either yield to the wish of someone, or fail to restrain him or her from something. When we indulge our appetite, we allow ourselves to gratify one appetite. When we indulge our children, we pamper them by allowing them to do anything they wish – without any restraint or limit…. Little dose of indulgence when the sons were small led to larger liberties…. (72) We cannot presume that others will take care of what is ours. We must take ownership of our children and their spiritual upbringing. (73) In Eli’s case, it lies hidden as a blind spot: his willingness to accommodate wrongdoing, and his unwillingness to deal with it…. Such indulgence is fatal to finishing well. Kindness towards those we love becomes kindness towards the wrong they do. Kindness turns a blind eye to sin. We gradually become oblivious to our tolerance of sin, in others and in ourselves…. Many otherwise godly leaders have fallen because of the inability to see what appears plain to others. (74) “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” Jesus declared, “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” (75)

 

8.     Samuel: Vital Resilience

Resilience is vital to finishing well. No one can close well without developing strength of character, tested through difficult times…. Disappointments could have turned him into a cynic. His mentor, Eli, disappointed him. His own sons disappointed him. The people he led disappointed him. His protégé, Saul, disappointed him… How did Samuel keep on course when those close to him fail to live up to expectations? (77-78) The poor model in his mentor could have disillusioned Samuel. As a child, he was left with Eli. He grew up with Eli, and from him, learned all about religious duties and service for God. Yet in the same household, Samuel saw the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, abusing their privileges as priests. Worse than that, he saw Eli doing nothing to correct them. (78) Samuel never stood in judgement of Eli. If anything, he resolved not to fail his mentor. He remained faithful to God till the end. He did not allow his walk with the Lord to be determined by the bad example of others. (80) Leaders should lead by their good example, rather than be led by others’ bad example. (80) Rejection A Bitter Pill: Samuel saw this as a rejection of his leadership. Such rejection could have ended his ministry to the people. Yet Samuel made it clear that he would continue to pray for them…. For Samuel, it helped him see the distinction between what he was doing and what God was doing. God assured him, “it is not you they have rejected, but they rejected me as their king.” Understanding the difference helps us not to take rejection personally. When a leader has worked hard, built an enterprise and owned the work, any criticism is taken as a personal snub. A work can begin with the people needing the leader, and end with the leader needing the people. (80) Leaders enjoy the adulation of their followers, take pride in them like trophies, and become addicted to the power and prestige the people give them. It is hard to step down from the pedestal. Samuel had to learn that he was not the one leading the people. God was their leader… God told Samuel to accede to their request, but not without first warning them of the consequences. Samuel was, after all, only God’s spokesman. (81) Part of resilience is knowing when to step aside. Not every battle has to be fought. (81) Resilience incorporates a crucial time element. It sees the picture because it allows for the passing of time. When Samuel promised the people that he would not stop praying for them, he was looking into the future. He knew that they were going to need it. Impatience wants it now. Resilience, with its twin virtue, patience, is prepared to wait. Not every impulse needs to be met, nor every challenge to fight. Rejection touches a raw nerve, but when accepted and viewed in perspective, builds resilience. Saul: Anger and sorrow left Samuel ambivalent… But God corrected Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man look at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” … Such betrayal can devastate us and turn us into cynics – or it can sober us and help us grow in discernment and maturity. For all the let-downs Samuel faced – with his mentor, his sons, the people and his protégé – he emerged resilient. When we last see him marching off to Ramah, he left behind a young shepherd boy whom he had freshly anointed as a future king. Samuel did not live long enough to see it, but he finally found someone who lived up to expectations. (84)