Accomplishments

A missionary shared some ‘I have” statements last Thursday:

I have glorified thee on the earth:
I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.
I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word. Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee.
For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me. (John 17:4-8 KJV)

Jesus prayed these accomplishments to His Father, then He prayed for me – and billions of others:

I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine. (John 17:9 KJV)

That includes Paul, whose letters to churches include a long list of accomplishments before he wrote:

I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: (2 Timothy 4:7 KJV)

After doing that, he expects a reward, defining for whom that reward is given:

Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing. (2 Timothy 4:8 KJV)

That was for me, too – and billions of others who love our Lord and look forward to His appearing.

When we do see Him, what is our list of accomplishments? Have we “fought a good fight”? Did we even know our course, much less finished it? Have we kept the faith? And, my biggest question, have I shared that faith? That’s a question I’m asking myself, not anyone else.

I have no idea what God’s plan is for anyone else, but I believe His plan for me includes sharing the faith I’ve found through His word:

So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. (Romans 10:17 KJV)

That’s very important because:

But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. (Hebrews 11:6 KJV)

We’re dashing toward an annual celebration of Christ’s birth. In a few short months we’ll celebrate His resurrection. In between there are years of accomplishments. I would suggest the book of John as the starting point for those accomplishments, but Luke is my favorite. Each of the Gospel writers were inspired and each had a specific perspective. Read them all, and note Jesus’ accomplishments – compare them with the ones He listed to His Father during His last hours on this earth.

We may not do His miracles, but there are “I have’s” we can list as our accomplishments for our Lord.