All poured out

A friend of mine shared a video clip by Dr Billy Graham, and I was just bowled over.  The message was clearly and sincerely communicated, but I'd heard these truths before.  What really got me was the footage of Dr Graham in his younger days, clearly full of energy, and expending that energy to share the Good News, and Dr Graham now, clearly much older (he's 95) and still giving everything he's got so that just one more person will know God's love.  I'm sure he's made mistakes before (who lives to 95 without making mistakes?!) but this is a man who has decided I will pour out every drop of me for God, until there is no more.  It really made my eyes tear up.  And it brought to mind a whole bunch of running analogies that the apostle Paul used.

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize?  Run in such a way as to get the prize.  Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training.  They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.
1 Corinthians 9:23-24

For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near.  I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.  Now there is in store for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge will award to me on that day - not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.
2 Timothy 4:6-8

Seeing Dr Graham in his chair, all 95 years of him, juxtaposed against his energetic youthful self, showed me how he has wholeheartedly poured out his entire life, and squeezed every drop of it to serve God and bless just one more person.  As I write this, I find that my words aren't doing justice to how I feel about this.  So, just watch the video below. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bba2Dqaw6SI


So why don't more of us live our lives like that?  I think it's because we forget what it is we've found.  I recently attended a Mandarin Encounter Weekend with the guys from my cell group.  The Encounter Weekend is essentially a Christianity 101 class for new believers, but it's fairly common for church members to go for "re-encounters" to refresh and recharge.  One of the things I took away from that Encounter Weekend was the passion and sincerity of the Mandarin-speaking new believers.  They prayed the most fervently, even though they have much less "experience" praying in public.  They threw themselves in worship, even though they had not had years to familiarize themselves with worship songs.  They listened attentively, even though our Singapore-accented Mandarin was probably jarring to them.  Why?  Because they knew they had found a treasure.

The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field.  When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.  Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls.  When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.
Matthew 13:44-45

Those Chinese workers and Dr Billy Graham know one thing.  They have found a treasure, a pearl of great value.  May I always remember that I too have found this great treasure, and live my life all for Him.

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