True Competitor: 7 Days of Spiritual Gritনমুনা

FINISH STRONG

True Competitor Principle

Be a finisher.

In February 1982, ABC’s Wide World of Sports introduced the world to the Ironman Triathlon. Near the end of the demanding race, ABC spotlighted the leader, Julie Moss, as she agonizingly crawled toward the finish line. Moss still held the lead just yards away from the finish line as she left everything she had on the course, but unfortunately, the eventual winner, Kathleen McCartney, passed by as Moss struggled. After McCartney passed her by, Moss literally willed her body to cross the line. Her mind would not let her fail. She would reach her goal even when every single bodily system was shutting down. Millions have watched that incredible finish and have been inspired to start the sport. Moss, then a twenty-three-year-old college student, is now an Ironman Hall of Famer.

We are inspired by finishers, not starters. Julie Moss is a finisher. We may get excited when someone shares a new start—a weight loss program, new sport, or new challenge—but the real celebration happens when they reach their goal—when they finish. That’s because most starts end with stops instead of finishes. We know all too well from experience that many people (ourselves included) start with great intentions but fail to finish with anything but a bunch of excuses.

Having witnessed thousands of starts, stops, and finishes along the way, I know that there are some common themes for each competitor. When we start something new, we always experience energy, excitement, and enthusiasm as we get out of the blocks. Motivation is high, and so are expectations. And when we encounter early success, we think it might just be easier than we expected. We have started out with great effort and have immediately seen progress.

But for some reason, most of those who start so well forget to finish well. Somewhere along the way, they encounter challenges and obstacles. Doubts and discouragement take over and derail their progress. Stress or negative emotions like fear or anxiety may cause them to make excuses or compromises and get off track. Self-talk turns more negative and conspires against the goal.

When the reality of what’s required to finish sets in, lots of us give up. We suddenly realize we may not be willing to pay the price for goal attainment or greatness. The easy start turned into hard work somewhere along the line, and we are confronted with all the reasons we should give up. The new four-letter word of our day is quit.

When we look at the Bible, the greats always finish strong. They may not have started very well, or they may have stumbled along the way, but they all have one thing in common—they finished strong. Take Paul, for example. When Scripture first introduces us to Paul, his name was Saul, and he was persecuting followers of Christ. It took a personal encounter with Christ to change his heart and physical blindness to give him eyes to see his new passion and purpose. He started badly but finished well. In the end, he was able to say, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7).

King David started strong, stumbled, but then finished strong. Peter started fast and followed Jesus immediately, stumbled in his three-time denial, and then finished strong by boldly sharing Christ with the nations.

Jesus became the ultimate finisher when He obediently went to the cross to forgive our sins and reconcile us, by grace through faith, to God the Father. Even today, He works in us to finish the work He began in us; He is the author and finisher of our faith.

It’s not how well you start that counts but how well you finish. I have said it to my kids a thousand times. Anybody can start well when energy and motivation are high, but not everybody can finish strong when fatigue sets in and the voices in their head are telling them to call it quits. Sometimes it’s hard to finish strong from day to day. Each day starts with a new motivation and resolve to make the right choices and put in the right effort, but often, the day ends with excuses and failure.

The hardest part of a marathon isn’t the start; it’s not even the finish. The hardest part of a marathon comes around mile twenty-one when your body is fatigued, your mind is weary, and the finish line is still far away. You feel like giving up. Those who persevere often receive a finisher medal because winning is in finishing, not starting. The hardest part of any type of competition isn’t starting; tryouts are easy, but training and sustaining are hard. We win when we stay with it and finish.

So why do some competitors stay the course and finish strong while others quit? Three key things will help you finish strong:

1. Self-Talk: The words that you speak (and even think) have the power of life and death. When the going gets tough, finishers flood their minds with positive thinking, optimism, and belief. They take those old words of defeat captive and focus on finishing.
2. Raving Fans: Encouragement fuels strong finishes. Having people cheering you on helps you overcome obstacles and setbacks. When your “fans” are lining the streets to encourage you, you will stay the course.
3. Clear Vision: Finishers keep the finish line in sight. They remember why they are pursuing their competitive goal. When the why is big enough, you’ll find a way. Keeping your eyes on the prize keeps you from distractions that bring you down. Keeping your eyes on Jesus is guaranteed to keep you on track to finish.

In 2 Timothy, Paul had his eyes on the finish line. He encouraged Timothy to stay the course and finish strong just like Paul was. Paul was Timothy’s raving fan, and his constant encouragement helped Timothy keep his mind and vision clear. Paul encountered more hardship than most of us can even imagine, but he was faithful to the finish.

True Competitors know there is something really satisfying with finishing. So if you have the desire to actually finish what you’ve started, you can do it. Start and finish strong each day. Then days lead to months, and months to years. Finishing strong happens one step at a time.

Father, I want to be a strong finisher as a True Competitor and as a Christian. Help me keep my eyes on You and overcome every challenge, disappointment, and obstacle. Finish Your work in me as You make me more and more into the likeness of Jesus. Amen.

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