Book Review : Finishing Strong
A man with continuous valor for his wife, children and his Lord is a rare commodity these days. Steve Farrar gives a shocking statistic that only one in ten men finish strong. We are all familiar with race metaphor the Apostle Paul spoke of in the epistles. This book expounds into great details, with myriads examples of actual live, what it means to be finishing strong.
The book is divided into 3 main parts. The prelude chapter to the first part is filled with live examples of people who started off strong, but failed to finish it strong. It is captivating when Steve compares the outcome of Billy Graham, Chuck Templeton and Bron Clifford, all started strong and all failed the mark but one - Billy Graham. Steve was quick to point out that finishing strong doesn’t mean finishing perfect or unblemished. Also, one can still finish strong even if he had a poor start. In the remaining chapters of Part I, Steve went on to warn us about ambushes that prevent us from finishing strong : ambush of another women, ambush of money and ambush of a neglected family. To stay on course, Steve gave four underpinning “stay” principles : stay in the scriptures, stay close to a friend, stay away from other women and stay alert to the tactics of the enemy. Do Note the emphasis of staying away from the lure of other women. There are biblical accounts of man who threw it all away - Samson, David and Solomon finished so-so because of their philandering ways.
Part 2 grips the readers with a list of “not-to-do” list for a man who intends to finish strong. A fascinating analogy and lesson was drawn from the Titanic on how sin will take you further than you wanted to go, longer than you wanted to stay and cost you more than you are willing to pay. One chapter discusses about pride at length, using the life and times of King Uzziah as an example of a man who started off very strong in the Lord but finally spirals out disgracefully. Steve was very detailed in explaining how that happen, quoting both from scriptures and supported by contemporary examples. In the final chapter of the part, a man is called to be a leader in their family and community they are accountable to. It is outlined what marks an “unleader” which should be avoided - being unservant, unteachable, unjust, unhospitable and an unhappy family.
As the closing part to the book, Part 3 compliments Part 2 by providing prototypes of what it means to be finishing strong. One chapter is dedicated to explaining at length that it doesn’t matter how we lousy we start, as long as we finish strong. There were myriads of examples being expound, and it is comforting to know that the Lord is still on a lookout for men who is willing to un-equate their past lives and move on to enter His glory by finishing strong. Another chapter describes how God uses failures to mould man into His image to be used for His glory. Steve uses a humorous way of likening failure to a degree called Masters in Character Acquisition. He expounds tastefully the degrees core courses at great lengths using biblical examples. The closing chapters speak about the vision for the finish line and the endurance to keep pushing oneself closer to that line.
The entire book is filled with accounts of characters from the bible and contemporary examples, which makes the read both appealing and relevant. Unlike many books which are probably more abstract and philosophically inclined, Steve Farrar’s straight-to-the-gut style and a tendency to outline core messages meant that this an easy book to read and comprehend. A must read for all men out there who wants to live a significant life for Christ.
posted by Mel-Vern @ 10:27 AM
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