About the Hymn
This hymn began with the striking imagery of 2 Timothy 4. Paul's testimony ("I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith") practically laid out a hymn structure on its own. I wanted to take Paul's personal reflection and expand it to include all believers, crafting a joyful and rousing text set to a hopeful, forward-moving melody.
The stanzas started first and developed slowly over several years, with the refrain emerging almost effortlessly once the first line of melody and lyric fell into place. I've continued to refine the hymn since my earliest days of hymn writing, and it's deeply rewarding to see it finally take the shape I always imagined. The phrase "His righteousness, our award" intentionally echoes the language of 2 Timothy 4:8; I wanted Scripture to shape not just the ideas, but the wording itself.
My aim was to show that God preserves His people, sees what they pour out for His kingdom, and ultimately leads them home in triumph. If this hymn is ever sung at the close of a life, I pray it declares that a life lived for God's glory is the most blessed calling imaginable.