One Out of Ten

I recently borrowed a book from a friend called How to Ruin Your Life by 40 by Steve Farrar, and though I haven't gotten far through it, I thought I would share this segment out of the second or third chapter that really impacted me. I think about so many people, and-- well, I guess I'll let you read it yourself.


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A number of years ago, I wrote a book titled Finishing Strong. And in that book, I told the story of John Bisagno. John is now retired, but he pastored in Houston for many years.

When Bisagno was twenty-one, he was very excited. He was getting ready to graduate from college and marry the love of his life. He also decided to go into full-time ministry. He was very optimistic about his future. One night, he was having dinner at his fiancee's home. After dinner, he went outside on the porch with his future father-in-law, Dr. Paul Beck. Dr. Beck had been in ministry since he was John's age. You could say he'd seen a lot of water go under the bridge. As they were talking about John's future plans and dreams, Dr. Beck gave him some advice: "As you go into ministry, John, make sure you stay close to Christ every day."

Young John replied, "Yes, sir. I know that's important."

 His future father-in-law continued:

You're just getting started in this race. And it's a very long race. You won't hit the finish line until you're in your seventies or eighties. The finish line is a long way off, John. But the goal of this race is to finish strong. And that's the last thing that Satan wants you to do. That's why you have to keep your heart close to Christ every day. It's been my experience that for every ten men who start strong with Christ in their twenties, only one out of those ten will finish strong.

That shocked John Bisagno. The staggering statistic left him in disbelief.

"That can't be. Just one out of ten?"

"Unfortunately, that has been my experience. Some men are taken out by love of money, others are taken out by theological liberalism, and many more are taken out by [s] immorality. Satan knows how to lay a trap and set an ambush. He knows every man's weaknesses. That's why it's been my experience that only one out of ten will finish strong."

John Bisagno was blown away by the remarks of the older man. He was so stunned that he went home and started thinking about his friends. They were all in their early twenties and all had bright futures. They were fully committed followers of Christ.

He was graduating from a Bible college, and many of his buddies, like him, were going to be pastors, missionaries, youth leaders, and worship ministers. He couldn't believe that only one out of ten would finish strong. The very idea shook him to the core. And it was then that he got the idea.

He took his Bible and turned to a blank page in the back. On that page, he wrote down the names of twenty-four of his friends. He knew these guys. Like him, they were all in their early twenties. The idea that all of them wouldn't finish strong was unthinkable. Maybe Satan would pick off a few, but surely most of them would stick. These were guys who would be willing to die for Christ, if necessary.

I heard Bisagno tell this story a number of years ago. It got very quiet in the room when he began to tell the rest of the story.

"As the years have gone by, from time to time I have gotten a letter or telephone call. And sadly, I have turned to the page in the back of my Bible and had to put a line through a name. I would always do that with such great sadness. The years have gone by and I am now fifty-three years old. Of the original twenty-four names in the back of my Bible, there are just three of us left."

Twenty-four young men who were all in their early twenties. Thirty-two years later, there are just three of them still standing. The majority of those men had ruined their lives before they turned forty.

What will your life look at when you turn forty?

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One out of ten... I don't want to be one of the nine. 

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
- Hebrews 12:1-2


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22 comments:

  1. "One out of ten... I don't want to be one of the nine."

    Nor I. May God bless our faith.

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  2. Great post.
    It just shows how careful we need to be with our lives.

    Rosie

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    1. Thankyou Rosie. It goes to show how important it is to keep our hearts hidden in Christ. :)

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  3. Narrow is the way that leads to life...and few there be who find it. So many people think they have found it when they really haven't.

    I think a big part of the problem is the extreme focus of the church on faith-based salvation to the exclusion of works. As much as they want to say it isn't like this, believing you're still a sinner after salvation is a sure way to keep sinning and never have true faith. They cling to a paradox to explain how they can live double lives that in no way indicate true faith and still claim true faith.

    I saw this in church today, when an elder had the entire congregation recite along with him some confession of sinfulness based partly on the Beatitudes, and then another elder prayed for the Holy Spirit to enable them all to live holy lives. Does this happen every week? If you say you're sorry and never change, are you truly repentant? Are they asking for the ability to live a holy life with the faith that God will give them that power, or with a spirit of doubt, the preconceived notion that no matter what, they will continue to sin every day?

    The first step to living a holy life is to believe it is possible. I would challenge the modern church to put away the preposterous paradoxical belief that it's impossible to love God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength in this world. Stop believing you're a worthless sinner and claim the promised power of Christ to transform you into a righteous saint.

    In other words, go, and sin no more.

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    1. "The first step to living a holy life is to believe it is possible. I would challenge the modern church to put away the preposterous paradoxical belief that it's impossible to love God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength in this world. Stop believing you're a worthless sinner and claim the promised power of Christ to transform you into a righteous saint."

      Amen! What a lot of believers don't realize is that the ability to live as Christ did was bought for them at the cross, their old flesh having been crucified with Him.

      I have since finished the book and it goes into how ruining your life by 40 can be avoided by guarding your heart and keeping it honest before God and people. It was a really good book, I'd recommend it to anyone 20 years old and up.

      Thankyou for your awesome comment and for sharing those thoughts, Matt. :) And thankyou for reading.

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  4. Wow, what a reminder not to become complacent! We fight for every foot of ground and sometimes it's just easier to sit back for a moment. But that moment where we relax our guard could be the beginning of our undoing. Good post!

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    1. Thankyou for reading, Jordanna! It is eye-opening to be reminded that we are in a race, and the starting line is just the beginning. :)

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  5. Wow...I got chills as I read the ending. It seriously is chilling. God forbid that we turn up at the end of our life still miles from the finish line.

    We need to not only be striving to keep ourselves from being one of "the nine" but we need to be encouraging our friends, too. And praying for them. Satan wants us bad...especially us younger generation who's been homeschooled and "raised right."

    It's not just a race....it's a war.

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    1. I know. I felt the same way when I read it. It's a terrifying and sobering reminder of how close we must stay to our Saviour.

      Agreed! It is a war; but He has already won! Our only task on this earth is to stand. May this generation rise to the calling, stand strong in His victory, and cross the line with Sword still in hand. :)

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  6. A sobering thought indeed.
    Great post, Twinnie. :)

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    1. It sure is. Thanks for reading and commenting, Twinnie. :)

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  7. Powerful. Thank you for sharing, mon Aussie. :)

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    1. You're very welcome, thankyou for reading, mon Philly. :)

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  8. Ok, REALLY random question. My grandpa has been all over the world, New Zealand included, and told me that you Aussies eat with the back of your fork - and he even demonstrated. Food on the side that curves down.
    Do you Aussies really eat that way? Or maybe I got the story wrong and he meant NZ?
    Like I said, really random, but I wanted to know and I knew an Aussie to ask!

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    1. *laughs* You're right; REALLY random! :D

      I have never heard of that in all my twenty Australian years, so I can guarantee that he was misinformed. o.O How on earth is that supposed to be an effective way of eating anyway?! So um... there's your answer! :D That is a definite no. :D

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    2. Yeah, so maybe he meant New Zealanders. Hmm. Yeah, didn't seem so efficient to me either, but hey, a lot of things don't make sense to me! Like for instance, you Aussies drive on the wrong side of the road! Whats up with that??!! Lol, jk.

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    3. Haha! We just dared to be different, ya know. ;) :D

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  9. Wow. Only by the grace of God... such a sobering post. Thank you Bushy!

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Please feel free to share your thoughts. I would love to hear your perspective. Let's learn from each other.