If there’s one thing that all of us should aspire for, it’s to finish well – in life, in a career/job/business, in a position of authority that was entrusted to us, etc. We don’t know when our days on earth will end – but we must aspire to finish well.
One way of doing it is to think that if we were to “expire” today – would God say that we finished well?
Would family and close friends, people who know us or worked with us, say that we finished well? Maybe not exactly using those words, but something to that effect.
Here are some questions we can use to determine if we are finishing well – just in case our time is up today, or in the near future! It’s not being morbid. It’s being wise and considerate to those we’ll be leaving behind:
Am I leaving my family with a mountain of debts – or some assets that can help them financially?
Am I leaving my assets in an organized way so that my heirs won’t end up fighting or have an agonizing time looking for my important documents/data? Am I leaving them with huge taxes they have to pay for, before they can access my estate? In short, will my family have such a hassle when I leave them?
Are there promises that I failed to keep – am I attending to them, at least?
What kind of reputation am I leaving behind? What will my family, close friends, colleagues and people I’ve worked with and worked for, say about me?
Am I generally a person who has dealt with others fairly, honestly? Or do I have a tendency to cheat others, always getting the upper hand, always making sure I get more than my fair share?
Am I known for helping others improve their quality of life – or do I just use people to be my stepping stones, to increase my accomplishments, to use their connections? Am I more of a political animal, a fair-weather friend? Am I someone who’s there for others only when they’re successful, but not when they’re down and out?
Am I materialistic – or do I value non-material things more than money or possessions – like character, integrity, compassion, relationships?
How did I use my power, money and influence – just for myself, or also to help others?
Am I a true friend, or one who changes friends when it suits my plans to promote myself?
Do I have a good relationship with my spouse, my children, my immediate family?
Do I have a good, intimate relationship with God, or am I leaving that for the “last minute”?
Finishing well is a priceless legacy we can leave to our family.
When one of my friends passed away years ago, I was astonished by the many people who went to her wake, and all the wonderful things they said about her – sincerely. Every night, there was this long row of people who stood in line to say good things about her. A lot of good things.
I felt so refreshed and inspired, listening to them. It was so liberating to know that yes, it IS really possible to finish well – even if my friend didn’t do anything spectacular or extraordinary in her chosen field.
She was basically just a lady who had an active, close relationship with Jesus Christ.
She was gentle, kind, honest, safe, reliable, trustworthy, humble and easy to be with. That’s all. The positions she held were peripheral items that were hardly mentioned.
That night, my friend showed me what it looked like to finish well.