In the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City, Tanzanian runner John Stephen Ahkwari was the last runner in the marathon. He finished about an hour and a half after the winner, practically carrying his leg, as it was so bloodied and bandaged. He was asked why he kept going when he had no chance of winning. John responded, “You don’t understand. My country did not send me 5,000 miles to start a race, they sent me to finish it.”
The spiritual race we run requires a sustained effort over a long period of time. While we are not in an afternoon athletic contest that is over in a short time, we still can’t allow obstacles to hinder our resolve.
Hebrews 12:1 says, “Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we’d better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. 2Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: cross, shame, whatever. And now he’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God.”
Our pace is kept as we keep our eyes on Jesus. When we discover that finishing the race demands energy, firm resolution, overcoming difficulties, the loss of ease and comfort, and the dying to our own desires, we are too often ready to give up.
These verses offer the solution:
1) Take the weight off! It’s hard to run and to keep on running with baggage. We can’t stay in the race long if we are clutching on to and rationalizing things that we know God says are wrong and destructive.
2) Remember that you’ve got a specialized group of fans – veteran runners – they’ve run and finished the race! Take a long look at their lives learning what worked and what didn’t.
3) You’ve got a pace setter – JESUS! Gaze at him and consider how he did it. He was able to sustain under the load because of the joy set before him. As David wrote in the Psalms, “My soul runs hard after you.”
Your country (our citizenship is in heaven – Philippians 3:20) didn’t send Jesus to give his life for us just so we could start the race. We’ve been commissioned to finish it! He is our joy…He is our finish line!