Finish the Race and Keep the Faith

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.” 2 Timothy 4:7-8 NKJV

Upon hearing the news of a dear friend’s death after a 14-month battle with Glioblastoma early yesterday morning, I couldn’t help but cry tears of sadness mixed with joy… sadness over her passing but joy knowing that Janet was no longer suffering and was finally in the place her heart longed to be. So, as I set out on my daily run with my husband by my side, my heart was refreshed as dusk turned to dawn and the sun finally began to make its appearance. Spreading from one side of the horizon to the other, the magnificent colors of the rising sun began to show themselves as a masterpiece of God’s making. Slowing down to take it all in, I turned to my husband and said, “What a beautiful morning for Janet to make the journey home.” To which he replied, “Indeed. But consider this honey… what we’re seeing right now pales in comparison to what Janet is seeing. Can you just imagine how in awe of heaven she must be in right now?” As I went on to run a few more miles, I smiled knowing that Janet’s race was now over. As she fought against the disease that eventually took her life, Janet never let cancer take her joy and she never took her eyes off Jesus. “Oh sweet Janet,” I thought to myself as I listened to the sound of the wind and the birds singing out on the trail as I prayed for her family. “You may be gone from this earth but the unwavering faith you displayed as you ran your hardest mile will no doubt be remembered by all those who were blessed and encouraged by witnessing it, quite probably causing at least one person to seek the One who filled you with such happiness in the midst of heartache.”

And, you know, throughout Paul’s ministry, he often used the picture of a Christian athlete running a spiritual race to (Philippians 3:12-14, Acts 20:24, 1 Corinthians 9:24, Hebrews 12:1) teach us what it means to press on in the midst of trials, troubles, problems, and pain in a way that we might gain “the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge,” Paul said “will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.” And Paul not only encouraged us to run the race in such a way that we might gain the prize ourselves, but that we might display the faith that inspires others to continue running the race as well, in the same way Janet did. You see, it’s one thing to fight the good fight when the race is easy and you’re standing on the podium, but it’s a whole nother thing to continue fighting and keep the faith when the battle is all uphill with little chance of success. But these are the times that we have the highest chance of influencing a lost world to seek Jesus! And when we must, by our unwavering faith in Christ, keep running the race and declaring, “I know that my God is faithful… and I know that I will soon take hold of the crown waiting for me and I will finally see my Savior’s face.” This is the steadfast confidence in God’s promises that causes the lost to look up my friend. 

So, no matter what you’re going through today, don’t let your heart be troubled. Remember that Jesus is preparing a place for all those, like Janet, who faithfully keep their eyes on Him and keep on running until they finish their race and break the tape. 

Heavenly Father, thank You for the blessed assurance every believer has that in your house are many mansions that are being prepared for the saints. Lord, help us to keep our eyes on You as we journey through this life so that we can fight the good fight, finish the race, keep the faith, and grab hold of the prize… never wasting even one moment to lead the lost to You by unwaveringly and joyfully trusting in your plan even if we don’t always understand it. It’s in your precious name we pray Jesus. Amen. 

Happy Running!