“But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.” -Acts 20:24

Now that’s not a man talking from a recliner. That’s the apostle Paul speaking after shipwrecks, beatings, sleepless nights, and more opposition than most of us will ever see. And yet he says, “None of these things move me.”

Paul understood something we have to learn again and again: when you know your purpose, problems lose their power to paralyze you.

He didn’t say the trials weren’t real. He didn’t pretend the danger wasn’t there. He just decided that finishing his course with joy mattered more than protecting his comfort.

And friend, that’s the word for us today.

You have a course. God has given you a ministry. It may not be a pulpit or a platform. It may be a classroom, a job site, a kitchen table, a hospital room, or a front porch. But it is sacred.

Don’t let criticism move you.

Don’t let fear move you.

Don’t let temporary trouble move you.

Keep your eyes on the finish line. Live for something bigger than yourself. And when you do, you won’t just finish — you’ll finish with joy.

And there is no greater testimony than a life that runs its race faithful to the grace of God.