Today’s Scripture: Acts 20:24; 2 Corinthians 8:11; 2 Timothy 4:7
In the 1968 Olympics, John Stephen Akhwari finished the marathon in last place due to an injury. “My country sent me here to finish, not drop out,” he said when people asked why he didn’t stop after he was injured. One of the other marathon runners dropped out after ten miles.
There’s a difference between quitting and finishing. Unfortunately, many people master the art of starting without learning the power of finishing well. Paul told the Corinthians, “Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it.”
To borrow Akhwari’s words, the Lord hasn’t put us on earth to drop out. We’re here to cross the finish line. Paul told Timothy, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” Even Jesus acknowledged the importance of completion when He uttered His last words, “It is finished!” He wasn’t referring to the end of His life. He was acknowledging that everything God the Father told Him to do was completed. He lived a perfect life with a perfect finish.
Of course, we cannot live perfect lives. But we can have a perfect finish by not allowing anyone or anything to “cut in on us” as we run the race.
Run well. Finish well.
- What do you think will be your biggest hindrance from finishing well? How can you “prepare your mind” to conquer that battle?
- How will your relationship with the Lord be different after this week’s quest?