I have been reminded many times lately it is not how you start this race but how you finish that makes a difference. As a youth, you may be thinking, “I got this! I’m still young. I have years ahead of me.” However, as I have been reminded recently you and I have been given today. It is easy to start well and lose your focus and spiritually fall. On the flip side, you may think you have all the time in the world (or many years left on this earth) until God calls you home. Or we start by singing the all too familiar song, “I have decided to follow Jesus, no turning back,” but why is it that so many people do? My greatest fear is that I will not finish well. It is a healthy fear to have…to pray, “God, I pray I am not the next one that stops.”
I have not finished this race yet, but there are some things I have learned to do to continue the fight for the finish line and finish the race God has called me to. Let’s take a look at what the apostle Paul had to say as he considered the race he was running. When he was chained in a Roman prison, expecting execution, he wrote:
“For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved His appearing.” (2 Timothy 4:6-8)
Paul knew he had made it to the end and finished well. In 2 Timothy 4:10 we read, “Demas, in love with this present world, had deserted me and gone to Thessalonica.” The two men served Jesus together – one endured and finished the race. The other didn’t. We don’t have much information, but Scripture ends with the fact that Demas, in love with this present world, stopped following Jesus.
To keep going towards the finish line, we must pay attention to three things:
1. Intimacy with Christ
We must always continue to grow in our knowledge of Christ and make Him known to others. The more we love Jesus, the more we will learn to put our confidence in Him alone.
2. Spiritual Disciplines
Just like a runner will practice daily to win the race, we must practice spiritual disciplines daily. Commit to a regular time of prayer and Bible reading each day. Fellowship with other youth group members. True fellowship – sharing and doing life together – is essential to finishing well.
3. Relationships with Resourceful People
Mentors, people more spiritually mature than you, and personal and group accountability are valuable resources. Do not take them for granted.
Every gram in a race makes a difference. The lighter the runner, the faster the runner is. The same can be said about the Christian life. There are things that slow us down, meaning we will not finish the race of faith. It is important to remember sin is hard to remove and it is heavy. We must lay aside every weight and every sin. The farther you run away from sin, the closer you can run to Jesus.
When we take our eyes off Jesus and put them on ourselves, it’s easy to sin. We start doing our will, not His. We cannot make it to the finish line unless we are looking to Jesus. You and I must set our eyes firmly on Him so we do not become tired in the fight against sin and in the race to continue in faith. He took the burden of our sins and placed them on Himself at the cross. He rose from the dead and sat at the right hand of God praying for us to fight sin and continue in faith.
Pastor John Piper had this to say, “You will not get the glory if you finish well because you will only finish well if God finishes through you. God is the great finisher. In fact, I would say, risking overstatement, He is the only finisher. We will finish well if we recognize that what He aims to finish we must join Him in finishing. More on that, from the text in Hebrews 13:21, if we are to finish it, joining Him in His goal to fill the earth with the knowledge of the glory of God like the waters cover the sea, we must finish recognizing that it is He who works in us that which is pleasing in His sight through Jesus so that Jesus gets the glory.”[1]
We must always remember we are not finished until the day we die. All of us, young or old, must remember the example of Demas. Along with that, take a look back at the above three things that can help in the fight to finish well as you “run with endurance the race that is set before you.” Hebrews 12:1 reminds us, “Therefore since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.”
Discussion Questions
- You may think, “I have many years ahead of myself, and expect to finish the race, to stand firm, to make it to the end.” Do you believe there was a time when Demas believed the same things? Why or why not?
(After question has been discussed) You and I are no different. We could fall just like Demas did.
- Take a look back at the three things that can help you finish well.
- Intimacy with Christ. What are some ways to achieve this? (NOTE: DO NOT just list them off and move on) ask more questions as needed like: Are you doing that now? How are you doing that? Do you have a Bible reading plan? Are you reading additional books?
- Spiritual Disciplines. Do you practice spiritual disciplines? What does that look like in your life? Why is discipline so important? (NOTE: prayer is two-way communication. Take some time to talk about allowing God time to answer).
(After question has been discussed) We all need to be in fellowship with each other. Sharing and doing life together is critical to finishing well.
- Relationships with Resourceful People. Do you have someone in your life you can go to with questions? Who? (NOTE: each person should be able to name at least one person)
(After question has been discussed) Do you share your plans for the future, decisions, doubts with them? Example: new job, school, etc. Do you allow them to share their thoughts and insight into your life?
- What are some things you can do to keep your eyes on Jesus?
Additional Scripture
Acts 20:24 – But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.
Romans 10:1 – So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
2 Corinthians 12:7 – So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited.
[1] desiringgod.org/messages/finishing-what
