Finish the Race

Jacob, my son joined the cross country team this year.  It was a bit of a surprise as he had never shown any interest in running and I was certain he wouldn’t enjoy it.  But, having several of his friends also on the team was motivation enough for him.  At first, we told him to keep his goals simple.  We didn’t want him to get discouraged.  All we wanted for him to try to accomplish was to finish the race.

In one of the most moving stories of the New Testament, Paul is saying farewell to a group of elders in Ephesus.  This was a place where Paul had served “with great humility and tears,” and had been tested severely.  But, he had obviously become quite fond of the people in this particular church.  Paul was going to Jerusalem, but he had been shown by the Holy Spirit that, once there, he would be facing prison and hardship.  As Paul shared this with the elders, he also told them he would never see them again.  They began to weep, to embrace Paul, and to kiss him.

A scene such as this might have led Paul to want to abandon his trip to Jerusalem.  I imagine the thought had to have crossed his mind that if he stayed in Ephesus he would be safe.  These people loved him and they would protect him.  And, he could continue to minister to them.  But, Paul would have none of it.  His words to them were, “I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace (Acts 20:24).”

So often, we may be tempted to quit.  The race is difficult.  It takes everything we got to keep living our lives in the way that we have been called to do.  The temptation may be to take an easier path, settle into a lifestyle that is more comfortable, one that is safer in some way.  But, what have we been called to do?  Where have we been called to go?  We, too, must finish the race, to continue to allow the Lord to use the circumstances of our lives, the difficulties we face, the obstacles we have to overcome, to His glory and to accomplish His purpose.