Note: This week's daily encouragement messages (and the last two from last week) are developed from a study I prepared for Crossroads Adult Bible Fellowship Sunday based on teaching from 2 Timothy 4:1-8.

Message summary: We will all finish this race. The question is, "Will we finish well?"

Listen to our message on your audio player.

"However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace" (Acts 20:24). “I have finished the race” (2 Timothy 4:7).

In the Olympics the desired goal is to win a medal, preferably the gold medal. But one of the greatest Olympic moments is from the 1992 games in Barcelona, Spain. After Derek Redmond tore his hamstring during the 400 meter race, his father Jim came out of the stands to help him cross the finish line. (A link to the video is below). It's a very moving moment; both his determination to finish in spite of the pain and seeing the loving support of a father.

Over twenty years ago I pulled my hamstring at a church softball practice and can testify to just how painful that can be.

Today we consider the second of three great descriptions Paul gave in 2 Timothy 4:7 concerning his life as he realized his departure (death) was near. In yesterday's message he wrote, “I have fought the good fight”.

Today we consider his epic words, “I have finished the race”.

Throughout Paul's writing he uses the race as an illustration of the Christian life and ministry. In his departing message to the Ephesian elders in Acts 20 he expressed his resolve, "However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace" (Acts 20:24)

In 1 Corinthians 9:26 he wrote, "So I do not run aimlessly". (See here for context).

Although students of the Bible are unsure concerning the human authorship of Hebrews it includes one of the great "running the race" passages, "Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us" (Hebrews 12:1). As I recall the very first sermon I preached over 50 years ago was from this passage.

In our daily text Paul states "I have finished" even though he was still living and running. This conveys his certainty and sense of imminence concerning his death. The Greek word "teleo" is in the perfect tense emphasizing the permanence of the finish. The finish line has been crossed and the results will last forever. This is the same Greek word used in John 19:30 when Christ cried out from the Cross, "It is finished".

We are all running this race and many run with various types of pain, something Paul surely knew; it may be physical or emotional. But like Paul we resolve to keep on running and to finish well. A sad, lesser considered reference to running is from Galatians 5:7, "You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth?"  May that never be said of us! (Last month we considered this text in a message titled, "Keep Running Well!".)

A note in the Precept online commentary states, "The idea Paul is conveying to Timothy and to all of us who are in the race is not for us to merely end our life, but to bring our life (in Christ) to it's destined goal, bringing to completion the individually unique and specific "course" that God has laid for each of His children to run".

We will all finish this race. The question is, "Will we finish well?"

Be encouraged today, Hebrews 3:13

Daily prayer: Father, we want to run the Christian race wholeheartedly testifying to the gospel of Your grace all the days of our life. We choose to fight the good fight, and keep the faith as we finish the race. It's not the one who runs the swiftest, nor the one who runs for a day, but the one who endures to the end who shall be saved. We anxiously await the rapturous moment when we cross the finish line from mortality into immortality, from death unto life eternal, when we will hear Your wonderful commendation, "Well done, good and faithful servant."

Personal note: In high school I ran cross country in the fall and track (long distance) in the spring. In the Kansas City area they also had indoor track (perhaps they still do) in the winter. My junior year I qualified at a district meet, probably in the mile or two mile and had the opportunity to go to the state finals. That was a big deal to me at the time.

Prior to the race I got a bad cold, but I was determined to run and sick as I was I went with several others from the team at Truman High School to Columbia (at the University of Missouri) for the state finals. As I was I ran my condition deteriorated. As I recall it was a dirt track with lots of dust. Nevertheless I finished the race... last. (The photo to the left is not from that race!)

Inspirational story: Many years ago we shared this story in a Daily Encouragement titled "We're Not Home Yet!"