“I’VE STARTED SO I’LL FINISH”

That was the title of a Men’s Breakfast talk given by Martin Cooper who, with his wife, has worked for over 35 years with an organisation called ‘The Navigators’.  This is a ministry which helps to prepare Christians in the ‘afternoon’ of their lives to make the most of the rest of their time on earth. 

The majority of Martin’s breakfast audience were from what he amusingly describes as ‘The Metallic Age’ – silver in our hair, gold in our teeth, iron in our tablets and lead in our boots!  Martin observed that in what he terms ‘second half living’ we nearly all start well; the real challenge is to finish well.  “We can do this”, he believes, “by focussing on life issues in the Bible and maintaining a close walk of faith with God and Jesus.  Will They go with us?  Of course They will, but will we acknowledge Their presence? 

“And we’ve got to remember our calling and not let the world about us squeeze us into its mould.  The easy path of life won’t enable us to finish well.  We should expect life to get harder.  Life is not a sprint – it’s a distance run – and we need to decide what it takes to go on strongly and finish well.” 

Martin advocates developing supportive relationships.  We should, if at all possible, have at least one particularly close friend in addition to our spouse.  In general it seems, women find it much easier than men to do this. 

And when our term is over we should hope to be able to reflect St Paul’s words to Timothy, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”  Then, as in Matthew, we need the Lord to say to us, “Well done thou good and faithful servant”.