Text- 2Timothy 4:7 – “I have fought a good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith”
Have you ever heard the story of Derek Redmond in the 1992 summer Olympics? In the semi-finals of the 400 meters sprint, his hamstring tore about 250 meters from the finish. Stretcher bearers made their way over to him, but he decided he wanted to finish the race.
Derek limped along the track, as he was joined by his father. That was how he completed the lap of the track, leaning on his father's shoulder for support. As they crossed the finish line, the crowd of 65,000 spectators rose to give Derek a standing ovation.
You see, in any race, the course is designed to be finished. Nobody celebrates an athlete who fails to finish. Even the one running last is still expected to complete the course. He doesn’t say “others have finished, there’s no need running till the end anymore”. NO! He finishes the course still.
Sadly, I think our generation is getting accustomed to starting things and not finishing them. These days, people go into marriages, vow to each other “till death do us part”, but quit on the marriage without finishing the course. The same goes for people who start a new diet or exercise program, a new job etc.
What I have found out is that it is usually easy to begin something new, because there is always this sense of excitement that comes with starting a new thing. But then, time is the definitive test of commitment. Ultimately, the real deal is not just to begin well, but to finish well.
Going back to our text, Paul said “I have fought a good fight; I have finished the course…” This means there is a good fight that must be fought if you will finish your course.
1. Enduring Temptations (James 1:12) 2. Defending the truth (Jude 1:3) 3. Wrestling against forces of darkness (Ephesians 6:12) 4. Tests and trials of Faith (Hebrews 11:8-18)
Beloved, nowhere in the Bible did God promise that the road is going to be all rosy! You will face trials, temptations, tribulations etc. But then, will you stay put till you finish the course?
PRAYER
Lord Jesus, grant me the grace to finish the course. I will not fall by the way side in Jesus Name.
Through my journey in life, I have met people who were so enthusiastic about serving the Lord in some way; they had keen passion! But then, somewhere along the line, when trials, temptations, tribulations and the likes come, they quit. Some even did so with a lot of animosity and cynicism.
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