“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith”
(2 Timothy 4:7, NRSV).
(2 Timothy 4:7, NRSV).
He broke my heart, again. Albert Pujols hit a go-ahead sacrifice fly in extra innings to pull
out the win against my beloved Reds. Pujols shook off going hitless in his first five at-bats to deliver
the game-winning run. Pujols is the baseball player who famously said, “It’s not how you start the
season, it’s how you finish.”
Paul, the leader of the first-century church made a similar declaration. Paul got off to a shaky start in his relationship with Jesus. In fact, Paul was a co-conspirator in the murder of a young Christian named Stephen. Likewise, Paul too often shot off his mouth only to ruin important relationships he had built during his time in ministry.
Yet as shaky as Paul’s beginning may have been, his ending concluded with a win. Whenever Paul was knocked down, he refused to stop fighting. Wherever along the course of life he stumbled, he stood up, once more, to continue the race. However his faith faltered, Paul refused to stop believing.
Paul was convinced that the only losers in the journey of faith are those who quit. Paul equally believed that because God had not given up on him, he had no excuse to give up on himself. Besides, Paul never knew exactly how close he was to the finish line.
These are good words for those who are ready to throw in the towel on a relationship that has gone south. Or for the person who is contemplating the abandonment of a dream. Even for the church that feels that for every step it takes going forward, is knocked by two. If God refuses to quit on your problems, why would you refuse to help the very One who is helping you?
Be bold. Be courageous. Be determined to finish strong. You owe it, as much to yourself as to God, not to cave into defeat.