When Does Finishing Fourth

WHEN DOES FINISHING FOURTH feel like taking first? Not often. Fourth usually feels one place worse than third. But at the 2003 Pop Secret 400, Matt Kenseth’s fourth-place finish helped him wrap up first place in the Winston Cup points standings.

The Pop Secret went like a lot of races had gone for Kenseth. He started near the back, steadily moved past other drivers, stayed out of trouble, and finished near the top. Bill Elliot won the race with Jimmie Johnson taking second and Jeremy Mayfield earning third. Kenseth’s fourth kept him 226 points ahead of Johnson with Dale Earnhardt Jr. sitting in the next spot. But with those points, Kenseth couldn’t be knocked out of first in the Winston Cup, as only one race remained.

Kenseth ended up claiming the overall racing title by 90 points over Johnson, despite winning just one race all season. The Wisconsin driver began the year with a mediocre 20th-place finish at Daytona. He followed that with a third at Rockingham, and then he won the UAW-Daimler Chrysler 400 at Las Vegas. His fourth place in Atlanta moved him into the Winston Cup points lead—a lead he didn’t give up for eight months. Kenseth tallied 25 top-ten finishes in 36 races to win nearly $$95 million.

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POINT Matt Kenseth isn’t the biggest name in NASCAR. He didn’t make a lot of headlines in 2003 with his amazing victories. Instead, he performed well every week and quietly moved his way to the top. And once Kenseth stood at the pinnacle of the Winston Cup standings, nobody could knock him off.

That’s the kind of life God wants us to lead. Our heavenly Father doesn’t want us to rise to the top quickly only to fade back into the pack. He desires that we consistently live for him day after day and stay first with him.

GOAL! How dependable are you in your Christian life? God already knows the answer. Do you read your Bible every month? every week? every day? Do you pray often? God wants to help you to live consistently for him.