What do you want to be remembered for? In today’s readings we see how two Sauls end their lives. The first Saul was the first king of Israel. His death notice reads:
So Saul died for his breach of faith. He broke faith with the Lord in that he did not keep the command of the Lord, and also consulted a medium, seeking guidance. He did not seek guidance from the Lord. Therefore the Lord put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David the son of Jesse.
(1 Chronicles 10:13-14)
No mention of a successful career, how much money he made, or even the fact that he was the first king of Israel. None of that counted. What God saw was a man who failed through disobedience.
The second Saul is the one who was renamed Paul. He had been a very successful religious teacher, and a pillar of the community, he was a pharisee. But Paul counted all his achievements as rubbish compared to knowing Jesus. We get a snapshot of his life in our reading from Acts 20 where Paul, nearing the end of his life says:
I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house, testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. (V20-21)
That is a life well lived. A life that considers that Jesus is the most important person. A life that is devoted to making Christ known to others.
However you have lived your life up until this point, you have the opportunity to finish well. None of us have obeyed the Lord perfectly, but all of us can trust the one who was totally faithful to us, even going to the cross for us. And in different way all of us can seek to help others know Jesus through our witness. That is how to finish well.
Light and Momentary Troubles 
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