Finishing well

Introduction

At the end of this month the Paris Olympic Games will begin. The motto for the Olympic Games is ‘Swifter, Higher, Stronger’, and we see many records broken as athletes strive to be the very best in their field. However a different sort of record was broken in the Men’s Marathon in the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta.

I don’t know if you have heard of Abdul-Baser Wasiqi – not a high-profile athlete – but a good runner who was sent to represent his country in the marathon. Unfortunately before the race he had a niggling hamstring injury, but rather than let his Olympic dream die, he chose to run. However, as he ran his injury worsened and soon out of the 111 competitors in the race, he was coming 111th.

At the half-way point, he was in agony and barely limping along. The organisers were worried as Wasiqi seemed determined to keep going, and they were waiting for the marathon to finish, so they could transform the stadium for the closing ceremony. But they decided to wait for Wasiqi. And so, one and a half hours after the second last competitor, Wasiqi limped into the stadium and, to the roar of a cheering crowd, finished the race. It was an Olympic record: the slowest Olympic marathon ever. It turned out that Wasiqi was the only competitor from Afghanistan at the 1996 Games, and he felt he owed it to his country to keep going until the end.

It is amazing what athletes will endure to finish a race. Let’s look now at the race of life. How do we run and, more importantly, how do we ensure we finish well?

Read Hebrews 12:1-2

Reflect

• Hebrews 11 gives us great examples of those who have run by faith. Now we are encouraged to throw off two types of things that stop us running our best. What are they, and what is the difference between them? (v 1a)
• How are we to run? (v 1b).
• Who has marked out life’s race for us? How does that encourage you, especially when you face difficulties?

Looking forward to the joy that awaited him at the right hand of his Father, enabled Jesus to endure the agony and shame of the cross. Let’s determine that, as we run the race of life, we too will be focused on our ultimate future: being with Jesus forever.

Read Philippians 3:12-14

Reflect

• What sort of picture do you get of Paul as he presses forward?
• What was Paul’s ultimate goal?

Jesus said: ‘No one who puts a hand to the plough and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God’. Paul certainly did not look back, but strained forward to reach the goal of being in heaven in the presence of Jesus.

Reflect and pray

Read Acts 20:24 How does Paul’s example motivate you to keep sharing the good news of God’s grace?

Read 2 Timothy 4:7-8 Meditate on these words of Paul as he nears the end of his life. Paul knows he is going to die, but he is confident that when he does, he will receive a crown of victory from the Lord himself.

In Paul’s day the winners of sporting victories received a crown of olive leaves that withered away. But the crown of life, for those who are in Christ, lasts forever!

Let’s sing!

Yes, I am Running (CityAlight); It Is Well With My Soul (Acapeldridge); Christ the Sure and Steady Anchor (Boswell and Papa); By Grace (Cityalight) The Lord is my Salvation (Getty).