Finish Right

2 Chronicles 35:22

Nevertheless Josiah would not turn his face from him, but disguised himself, that he might fight with him, and hearkened not unto the words of Necho from the mouth of God, and came to fight in the valley of Megiddo.

My predecessor at the church I pastor, Bro. Charley O’Daniel, finished his life right. I knew Bro. O’Daniel for close to three decades before he stepped onto Heaven’s shores. Throughout the years, Bro. O’Daniel was faithful to soul winning, the old paths, and holiness. I was in town preaching the day he passed away, and one thing I can say about Bro. O’Daniel is that he finished right. He did not retire from the ministry, but God retired him from the ministry. He did not quit what he believed when he was younger, but he stood stronger on what he believed the older he got. I am thankful that I have a heritage of someone who not only started right, but also finished right.

Finishing right is critical to your testimony and to those who follow you. Anybody can start right, but not many finish right. There will be many things that happen in your life from the start to the finish, but one thing you must guard against is that you finish stronger than what you started. I find five men in the Scriptures who did not finish the way they started. Let me share what kept them from finishing right so you can learn to guard against the same mistakes.

David is the first man who did not finish the way he started. David allowed the flesh to mar his ending by having an affair with Bathsheba. Many people have lived holy most of their lives only to succumb to the flesh by committing adultery, and it marred their lives and testimony. The opposite sex is always something you must guard against so that you don't ruin a testimony of holy living that you have tried to live your entire life.

Solomon is the second man who did not finish right. Solomon allowed bad associations to turn him at the end of his life. You cannot allow bad associations in your life and it not affect you at the end of your life. Every person must keep the right associations if they expect to finish stronger than what they started.

Noah is the third man who did not finish right. Noah allowed worldliness to keep him from finishing as strong as he started. His drunkenness affected his testimony. He stood strong for over a century, but became worldly after the strong stand. It matters not how long you have stood strong for the old paths; worldliness always ruins a testimony of standing strong for truth because it eventually comes out. Worldliness can never be hidden in the heart of the believer because it grows and gradually changes you until you are worldly and have changed what you once believed.

Hezekiah is the fourth man who did not finish right. Hezekiah allowed pride to destroy his life. It matters not what you have accomplished for God; pride ruins all accomplishments because it makes you overconfident in your abilities. Great accomplishments will cease when pride takes over the heart because pride makes you trust self over God.

Josiah is the fifth man who did not finish right. Josiah got sidetracked from his responsibilities, and it killed him. Don't get sidetracked with good things that are not your responsibility. Keep doing what you are supposed to do, and when good things try to sidetrack you, always refuse and continue doing what God wants you to do.