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Don’t Stop Running
by Dr. Paul Chappell
“And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.”
John 17:3–5
In 1968, marathon runner John Stephen Akhwari from Tanzania traveled to Mexico City for the Olympic Games. The high altitude of Mexico City caused great difficulty for the distance runners. In fact, a quarter of those who started the marathon did not finish. Already laboring with leg cramps, Akhwari was involved in a collision with another runner near the halfway point of the race that left him with a dislocated knee.
Left far behind the other runners in the pack, Akhwari continued to make his way forward. Finally, more than an hour after the winner crossed the finish line, and after the sun had set, the few remaining spectators in the stadium saw the limping, bleeding Akhwari complete the marathon. When asked why he had continued on despite his injuries, Akhwari said, “My country did not send me five thousand miles to start the race; they sent me five thousand miles to finish the race.”
There are many Christians who start out with high hopes and good intentions. Many of them make good progress for a while, but then something happens and they stop moving forward. Paul asked the Galatians, “Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?” (Galatians 5:7). It is not enough to start out well. All of us who run for Christ will encounter difficulties and setbacks along the way. The important thing is that we not allow obstacles to derail us. Instead we must continue on to the end if we wish to hear God say, “Well done.”
John 17:3–5
In 1968, marathon runner John Stephen Akhwari from Tanzania traveled to Mexico City for the Olympic Games. The high altitude of Mexico City caused great difficulty for the distance runners. In fact, a quarter of those who started the marathon did not finish. Already laboring with leg cramps, Akhwari was involved in a collision with another runner near the halfway point of the race that left him with a dislocated knee.
Left far behind the other runners in the pack, Akhwari continued to make his way forward. Finally, more than an hour after the winner crossed the finish line, and after the sun had set, the few remaining spectators in the stadium saw the limping, bleeding Akhwari complete the marathon. When asked why he had continued on despite his injuries, Akhwari said, “My country did not send me five thousand miles to start the race; they sent me five thousand miles to finish the race.”
There are many Christians who start out with high hopes and good intentions. Many of them make good progress for a while, but then something happens and they stop moving forward. Paul asked the Galatians, “Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?” (Galatians 5:7). It is not enough to start out well. All of us who run for Christ will encounter difficulties and setbacks along the way. The important thing is that we not allow obstacles to derail us. Instead we must continue on to the end if we wish to hear God say, “Well done.”
Today’s Growth Principle:
God calls us not just to run the race for Him, but to do whatever is necessary to finish it well.
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