Are you a “finisher”? As I run and walk in the park, I sometimes see people with the word “finisher” on their shirts. Runners recognize this means that they have finished a marathon. You may have seen 13.1 or 26.2 stickers on the back of cars. The owners are advertising that they have run a half-marathon or a marathon. I have never seen a shirt with the title, “Starter.” Not everybody who starts the race finishes.
As Paul headed to Jerusalem, he reminded the elders of Ephesus about the marathon he was running. The Holy Spirit guided Paul sending him to Jerusalem. Many of Paul’s companions counseled him not to go because he would face hardship and prison there. So why was he still going? The Holy Spirit sent Paul. He obeyed God rather than people.
Running requires both discipline and sacrifice. Paul was not trying to save his own life. Instead, he wanted to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus had given him: the task of testifying to the good news of grace. Some of my friends are working on a project called, “Finish the Task 2033,” recognizing the two thousand year anniversary of Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection. They want to finish the work of sharing good news with every person under heaven by that year.
Was Paul a finisher? In his second letter to Timothy, he said, “I am already being poured out as a drink offering . . . I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:6-7). We don’t get to choose the race we run, but we can decide whether to finish. Finish strong. Instead of a T-shirt, you will receive a crown of righteousness.
