Read: 2 Timothy 4:1-8
As the Apostle Paul ends his second letter to his co-worker in the ministry Timothy he reminds him and others to finish the race strong and keep the faith. He says, “There is in store for us a crown of righteousness” at the end of the race. Back on October 20, 1968 at 7 pm, a few thousand spectators remained in the Mexico City Olympic Stadium. It was cool and dark. The last of the marathon runners, each exhausted were being carried off to first-aid stations. More than an hour earlier, Mamo Wolde of Ethiopia, looking as fresh as when he started the race, crossed the finish line, the winner of the 26 mile, 385 yard event.
As the remaining spectators prepared to leave, those sitting near the marathon gates suddenly heard the sound of sirens and police whistles. All eyes turned to the gate. A lone figure wearing the colors of Tanzania entered the stadium. His name was John Stephen Akhwari. He was the last man to finish the marathon. His leg bloodied and bandaged, severely injured in a fall, he grimaced with each step. He hobbled around the 400 meter track. The spectators rose and applauded him as if he were the winner. After crossing the finish line, Akhwari slowly walked off the field without turning to the cheering crowd.
In view of his injury and having no chance of winning a medal, someone asked him why he had not quit. He replied, “My country did not send me 7,000 miles to start the race. They sent me 7,000 miles to finish it.” That is the inspiration that Paul is encouraging in this passage. God has placed us here for a purpose. In the end we will receive a wonderful crown of righteousness if we have followed Christ and his path, but in the meantime we need to keep on the path and finish the race.
Sometimes that path may make us fall and sometimes we may get bloodied or beat up, but Jesus promises to see us through those times if we keep our eyes on him. Keeping him at the center of our lives will help us stay focused on the finish line mentioned in 2 Timothy 4. May we keep the faith!
Make it personal: While we run the race we need to not only look for the finish line, we need to draw on Christ’s strength and his direction in the day we are living. What might Jesus be calling us to do for him today? That may be a part of finishing well!
Happy New Year, Glen Rhodes
