Finish Strong

Bang, the gun went off and I was off for my 1 mile race. I was in 8th grade, not the fastest kid on the team, but I enjoyed staying in shape as I ran with the team. As I was running my second lap of four some of my teammates began to point at me like something was wrong. I thought they were laughing because I was near the back of the pack but then I looked down and notice my shoe had come untied. I still had this lap and another two to go! I had two choices. I could either stop and quit or I could keep going and finish strong.

Too many times we quit right before we are about ready to finish. Whether it is taking it too easy the last few weeks (or months) of school, we stop praying for someone God has laid on our heart, or we give up on something that God has called us too. No one gets a prize for running hard for half the race then quitting, you have to finish strong. Not only that but if we quit in the middle of what we are doing it is like all the hard work that you just put into it does't matter because you did not finish.

Paul talks about living life like it is a race in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27. Our prize is eternal life (which has been guaranteed by the death and resurrection of Jesus) and the race we run is life. There are many laps in life. Day after day we run through our days. It can become easy to pull up in our pace or to quit all together but listen to what Paul had to say in 1 Corinthians 9:26, "I don't know about you, but I am running hard for the finish line. I am giving it everything I got. No sloppy living for me! I'm staying alert and in top condition. I'm not going to get caught napping, telling everyone else about it and then missing it myself." (The Message a paraphrase translation of the Bible) 

It sounds like Paul wanted to Finish Strong in all he did. I ended up finishing that race with my shoelaces untied. Did I win, no, but I finished and that is what matters. Like my dad said, don't start something your not willing to finish.

 I want to encourage you, don't give up, don't pull back, but today and every day in all you do

FINISH STRONG!