Faithful To The End

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

2 Timothy 4:7

During the 1992 Olympics, British runner Derek Redmond easily won his quarterfinal for the 400-meter race. In the semifinal race, he started out well, but about 250 meters from the finish line, his hamstring tore, sending him to the ground in agonizing pain. When stretcher bearers came to carry him off the track, he refused their help and determined to hobble to the finish line. Soon after, his father pushed past security, joined him on the track, and helped him continue. Despite the crushing disappointment and the dream lost, Derek Redmond, with the help of his father, finished the race.

Sometimes we get crippled with distraction by all that’s going on in the world: injustice, sin, materialism, and war. But if we are faithful to the end, it doesn’t matter what trials and tribulations the world experiences, because we have a heavenly Father who is always beside us, helping us run the race. Through Him, the race has already been won; all we have to do is remain faithful until the finish line comes into view.

The spirit, the will to win, and the will to excel are the things that endure. These qualities are so much more important than the events that occur.

VINCE LOMBARDI