Finishing Strong

~Father and son, Dale Ernhardt and Dale Ernhardt Junior; On the day of his death, Dale Ernhardt had a bible verse taped to the dashboard of his race car, given to him by Darrell Waltrip~

The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run into it and are safe

Proverbs 18:10 

Preach the word!  Be ready in season and out of  season.  Convince, rebuke, exort, with all longsuffering and teaching.  For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.  But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.  For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand.  I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.  Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.
2 Timothy 4: 2-8 NKJV

The old apostle Paul must have known his time was at hand.  He'd indeed been through alot, much more than others who had gone before him.  But now, as Paul reflected on his life in his letter to his young protege Timothy, Paul not only tells of his own faith, but once again encourages Timothy to finish strong his own race.  Now, I'm not sure if Paul actually had a premonitiion of his ultimate end here on earth, but here in 2 Timothy 4 he is eluding to the very fact that he has "Finished the race" and "I have kept the faith."  These very words tell me that Paul was expecting to not be around much longer.  And so he writes young Timothy once again to encourage him.  For Timothy was indeed just begining his own race to the finish.  As a follower of Christ Jesus, he has been entrusted by Paul to "Preach the word" to those who would hear it.  Indeed, Paul had endured a long race through his life in the name of Jesus since his encounter with Christ on that road to Damascus so long ago.  Raised in the edicts of the Jewish faith, he now witnessed for Christ Jesus.  I guess you could say that Pauls race got a late start, but he finished strong.  And so, what does Paul mean exactly when he says he's "Finished the race?"  Well, I'm of the opinion that he is refering to his service to Christ Jesus.  For Paul not only witnessed for Jesus, but he lived for him as well.  This was not only Pauls race alone, but ours today as well.  For we also can view our very lives as a race to the finish.  As in every race, there will be obstacles, events and long stretches on our path that will challange us.  This is our race.

For you have heard of my former conduct in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God beyond  measure and tried to destroy it.  And I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries in my own nation, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers.  But when it pleased God, who seprated me from  my mothers womb and called me through His grace, to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went to Arabia, and returned agian to Damascus.
Galations 1: 13-17 NKJV

While many in Pauls day must have remembered him for his zealous persecution of the church of Christ Jesus, many still were amazed at the very transformation of this former persecutor of the church.  What greater ambasador for Christ Jesus could there be than one who had previously so vehemently persecuted the church as Paul had?  It is for this very reason in which I say that Pauls "Race" began on that day on the raod to Damascus.  Of course, this is just one mans opinion.  I am slso of the mind that this is exactly how God chooses to use His children in His service today.  For if our Lord could bring such a persecutor of the early church such as Paul to his very knees in repentence, how much so can he do with us today?   And how great a ministry the life of the apostle Paul?  How great a race to the finish?   It is certainly not beyond the reach of God to call into His ministry one who has previously denied Him.  This is part of the grace and mercy of the God we serve.  For those who have finished strong their own race are indeed an example for us all.  Those who have fought the good fight and who have kept the faith are a example for us all in our own race to the finish.

~Scott~