Read: 2 Timothy 4:6-8
I have
fought a good fight, I have finished my
course, I have kept the faith…
2 Timothy 4:7
I watched a
fairly high profile bike race not long ago in which the clear front-runner had
the race all but won. The rider in second place was not far behind, but it was
clear that he was not going to win. As he neared the finish line, the probable
winner raised his arms above his head to celebrate his inevitable victory. The
instant he pointed his fingers to the sky, his front tire began to wobble
uncontrollably. He went down hard and had to watch from the pavement as the
supposed second-place winner broke the finish-line tape and snatched the
victory that should have been his. Maybe it was fatigue or maybe it was
overconfidence in his abilities, but whatever the case, this rider did not
finish his race well.
It is important that you start your race through
life well: make sure you are saved, stay pure, respect authority, and live
righteously; but it is even more important that you end well. Many people start
their lives with the intention of serving God for the entirety of it, but they
soon grow weary with fatigue. They become overconfident in their ability to
fight off Satan’s advances; and before they realize it, they have completely
given up on God and have fallen on their faces well before the finish line.
In our verses today, Paul was talking to
Timothy about his race through life. The interesting point is that Paul did not
tell Timothy that he was expecting rewards because of all his wonderful
accomplishments. He told Timothy he was expecting rewards because he had been
faithful. He said, “I have kept the faith; Henceforth there is laid up for me a
crown of righteousness…” He was banged-up and bruised, scarred and broken; he
had made mistakes just like everyone has, but he had remained faithful.
Perhaps you have seen an Ironman
triathlon. The participants endure a 2-mile swim, a 110-mile bike ride, and
26.2 mile run. Many of them drop out during the race, but most who finish do so
on wobbly legs or crawling in on their hands and knees. They didn’t cross the
finish line first or second or even third; but they endured, they pressed on,
and they finished. Many clutch the medal they receive at the end of the race as
their most prized physical accomplishment. When we get to Heaven, I imagine we
will feel so much more of a sense of accomplishment when we grasp that crown
that we can lay at the feet of Jesus if we can just remain faithful to the end.
Press on, persevere, and claim your reward.
Quote of
the day: “The crowns we wear in Heaven must be won here on earth.”
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