WILL YOU FINISH YOUR RACE?

by Roy Todd

Starting is easy – but finishing well is what REALLY matters.

Looking back over 20 years of ministry, I’ve seen many people begin with great passion only to quit along the way. Lots of them were gifted and talented with huge God given potential. However, today, they’re no longer in the race. Some fell and never ran again. Others got weary and gave up. There were even those who became conceited and untrainable, thinking they’d made it when they were nowhere near the finish line. Ability was never the issue. It was always about the heart.

It takes character to run your race well, consistency to keep on track and courage to stay the course. It’s the easiest thing in the world to quit. That’s the reason why so many people do it. Question is, in a year from now, 2 years, 5 years, 10 years – what about you? Will you still be running your race? Or will you merely be numbered among those who opted for a more convenient life?

Hebrews 12:1 says ‘Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us‘. The background of this statement was the ancient Olympic games. In those days, the relay race was the premier sporting event. This involved a runner carrying a baton to a certain place, at which point they would pass it on to a team mate whose job was to run and pass the baton on again. This was a team effort, each member depending on the other to run well. So when the author of Hebrews writes about ‘the race marked out for us‘, this was the scenario he had in mind, alluding to the idea of serving God’s purpose faithfully in a world of faithlessness.

The point is…today is your race. You only get one chance to run this, and that’s why it’s important to run well. There has been a generation who ran before you. They gave you your start. But there’s also a generation that’s yet to come who will one day run from where you finish off. That’s why it’s imperative to finish well. The better you finish, the greater the start they’ll have. Remember, God’s purpose is ALWAYS generational. Proverbs 13:22 reminds us that ‘A good person leaves an inheritance for their children’s children’.

The question still stands. What about you? Will you finish your race? Will you complete your task? Will you fulfil what God has asked you to do? Will you be faithful & loyal to the end? How you finish your race will influence more lives than you know. That’s why it’s worth it to finish well.

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