Finishing the Race

This weekend I did something a little out of my comfort zone, I ran a 5K. It was only my second 5K but it was my first trail run ever. Naturally, I don’t have the runner body, but I do enjoy a good run every now and then. I just enjoy exercise in general because it’s a great way for me to connect with the Lord and stay health both mentally and physically.

All the proceeds for the race went to help fund the new Chi Alpha Missions Training Center being built on UCA’s campus. Running the race quickly became a metaphor; I wasn’t just running for me, but also for the lives that would be touched by this new Training Center. Needless to say, God used this race to learn me a thing or two. The biggest thing I got was this: finish strong. At the end of the race I sprinted across the finish line because I was reminded of a part of scripture in 2 Timothy. In Chapter 4 of 2 Timothy Paul is writing to his disciple, Timothy, to help encourage the young man, as he pursues after the Lord and ministry. Chapter 4 begins with a warning/encouragement: to push through and prepare for the inevitable hard times. In verses 6-8 Paul writes about how his end is near but how he is happy with how is ending. This became so real to me as I was running my race. Sometimes to trail would get steep, have streams to jump or walk through, necessary pauses, and just plain hard. In the middle of the race I could hear God reminding about how the race of life is just like this. How it’s not always easy, there are times we want to give up, times we feel sick to our stomach, times we need to slowdown and breath, and times were things are just plain hard. What matters most though is not how great of a start we get, how good we look while doing it, but instead making sure we finish strong. Yes, the race ahead of you will be hard, you will want to give up, things will look ugly. Thankfully, we have a God who cares enough about us to run the race with us. A God we can depend on to be our motivation and strength to keep running and finish strong and not give up in the middle. We have a crown waiting for us at the end if we simply continue to fight the good fight, and finish our race. How we run the race is up to us. Will we choose to run a race that made a difference into eternity for others or walk a race that only benefited us?

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.”
‭‭2 Timothy‬ ‭4:7-8‬ ‭NIV‬‬