How to Finish the Race

I kind of get this picture of Richard Petty (the NASCAR racing legend) telling a younger driver how to win a race. The Apostle Paul is nearing the end of his life and he has already taught us about dying to ourselves and with the same attitude as Christ serving others. His perspective is from the end of the race, getting ready to join that great cloud of witnesses in heaven. From that point of view he says, 

"Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:12-14 

Continuing with the analogy of a race Paul is describing, to the mature and to those seeking to be mature, how to win the race. The first thing I see is that I must make winning the goal.  I find it funny when a reporter asks an athlete who has trained their whole life if they ever thought they would win. They try to sound humble and surprised, but, they didn't sacrifice all they did to come in last place or get disqualified. 

When Paul says that he wants to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of him, he is not talking about failing. Christ Jesus took hold of me, he took hold of you, to make you into the image of Jesus Christ. It's not about perfection. It's not about being able to say you completed the checklist of things God gave you to do. It's about trusting God that he will do what he said he would do in you. In chapter 1, verse 6 Paul said, "being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." Grab unto that truth and hold on for dear life! 

What do great finishers do? At the end they focus on the prize, the end of the race. They put their heads down and just flat out go, they give everything they have and cross the finish line! So, grab unto Jesus Christ, hang on, put your head down and go!

Father, thank you that as we seek to press on toward finishing the race you will complete what you want to do in and through us. Praise be to you in us today!