Sent to Finish

For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world.
1 John 5:4 (ESV)

As the sun is going down over the 1968 Olympic stadium, only a few thousand people are left in the stands when the last marathon runner gets to the finish line. He finishes dead last, more than an hour after the winner has crossed. It goes down as one of the most memorable marathon finishes in history, but not for the reason you might think.

John Stephen Akhwari of Tanzania gets cramps from the high altitude. He is involved in a collision of several athletes jockeying for position. He falls to the ground, dislocates his knee, severely injures his shoulder, and is bleeding from his leg. Many urge him to go to the hospital, but he refuses. He crosses the finish line an hour after the winner.

When they ask why he doesn’t just quit and give up, he says, “My country did not send me 5,000 miles to start the race; they sent me 5,000 miles to finish the race.”

The Bible describes life as a race, and the moment you give your life to Jesus Christ, you are no longer running this race for you. You are running this race for Him. He doesn’t just want you to start the race. He wants you to finish the race. Today’s verse promises that “everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world.”

Maybe you’re limping through a hard marriage. Before lunch, pray. You don’t have to quit, and you don’t have to die in defeat. 

God did not send you to start the race. He sent you to finish the race, and He will give you the power to finish well.

Prayer: Father, thank You for giving me everything I need to run this race. I confess, some days I feel like I’m limping more than running. Lord, I know You didn’t call me just to start this race. Give me the strength to keep going in the place I’ve been tempted to quit. Help me finish well, by Your grace. In Jesus’ name, Amen.