Finishing Strong

by Dick Buckingham, Administrator

II Timothy 4:7 “I have fought the good fight.  I have finished the race.  I have kept the faith.”

The apostle Paul, in arguably his last letter to his protégé Timothy, makes this interesting and profound statement: I have finished the race.  Paul often uses the race analogy when referring to the lives we are living for Christ.  In I Corinthians 9:24 he says,

“Do you not know that in a race, all the runners run, but only one gets the prize?  Run in such a way as to get the prize.”

This verse has been the theme verse for our students this year and we have focused on running the race of

our lives with passion.  Passion is that element that often separates one racer from another, between getting or not getting the prize.  One of the things we love to see in an athletic contest is someone who gives it all in order to go a split second faster, or jump a fraction of an inch higher.  We seem to intuitively know that giving our all is the right and best way to live and we admire someone who does it, and does it well.  Many a race has been lost by pulling up too soon.  Every good coach knows to impress upon his athletes the importance of running hard through the tape before slowing down.  They push this just as hard in practice races as they do the actual race.

I often remind my students that we are given opportunities throughout life to practice finishing strong and we should use them to make it the pattern of our lives to give it our all, all the way to the end.  Such opportunities are things like school years which end each May.  Students can practice doing their work and being faithful to their studies at a time when they feel more like coasting and sitting by the pool.  Many a parent (and teacher) knows how difficult it is to motivate children with “Spring Fever.”  We may be able to look back and remember how difficult it was for us to focus and stay motivated and keep going strong to the end of a school year.  We may want to give our children a pass and feel like the school ought to take it easy on the students as the year winds down.

What I want to impress upon you as a parent is that there are some lifelong implications to how we finish things.  The way we practice the race is the way we will run the race.  If it is our habit and pattern to coast as we come to the end of the school year, we may likely do that in college.  When we could have received high grades, our grades are satisfactory or even mediocre.  We may tend to take it easy as we transition from one job to another or one position to another within our company.  Instead of giving our all for as long as we are employed, we may see our effort begin to wane as we approach retirement age.  We all know what a lame-duck politician is.  They are in their last term of office and the closer they get to the end, the less they accomplish. 

More importantly than all these, there are spiritual implications as well.  Instead of remaining steadfast all our lives and serving the Lord every day of our lives until he calls us home, we may begin to take it easy in our walk and not be so concerned about the Lord’s work as we once were.  Our place in heaven may be secure, but our reward will be affected.

The apostle Paul left nothing on the table.  He gave every effort up to the very end of his life to serve the Lord and others.  He was able to say without apology, “I have fought the good fight.  I have finished the race.  I have kept the faith.”

Once in a while, we see this kind of commitment in people we know.  My mom went to be with the Lord just about two weeks ago.  She was 81 and lived a life of service to the Lord.  Though weak and frail and prone to illness, she never ceased to pray for others, to encourage others in the faith, and to do whatever she could to serve others, up until just days before her Savior called her home.  She is one who can with Paul say, “I have fought the good fight.  I have finished the race.  I have kept the faith.”  As a result, she is now hearing the “Well done, good and faithful servant,” from her Lord.

What about you?  If your life on this earth came to an end today, would you be able to make that proclamation?  How are you finishing?  Are you finishing strong?  Are you encouraging finishing strong  from your children?  Are you leading them by your example?