Finish Strong

“But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.”

 Acts 20:24, NKJV

Did you know you have a race to run? The Lord has marked out a path, lane, course and race for you to run—and finish. If you are going to finish strong, you will need grace for your race!

When my husband ran the Chicago Marathon it was quite a site. More than 35,000 runners started the race. Their adrenaline was pumping as they prepared for the starting gun to go off. Six and a half hours later, it was a different story. I don’t know what the attrition rate was, but during those 26 miles, many great starters quit the race.

God wants you to be a strong starter and a strong finisher—in life and in ministry.

In Life: Millions of people around the world start the Christian race when they “pray the prayer” to accept Christ and confess Him as Lord. Then life happens. Twenty-six miles later, you can look around and see the attrition. Where are the ones who started so strong? Scores of people quit on the Lord, but there are those who run their race all the way to the finish line. You can finish strong!

In Ministry: Thousands of believers who’ve accepted Jesus as their Lord have sensed a call to ministry. They have a God-given desire to embrace their task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace. They start the race with enthusiasm! Then they discover that serving God is hard work—with long hours, little margin, and no guarantee of recognition or compensation for all their efforts. Twenty-six miles down the dusty road the "glitz and glam" has worn off, and scores of people who were truly called to the ministry by the Lord Himself have quit the race and only a few run on. You can finish strong!

Starting the race is the easy part. Staying in the race is the challenge. Finishing the race is for the strong. You can be the kind of person who finishes strong!

"Father, I ask You for more grace to run my race and finish strong. In Jesus' Name. Amen."