Finish The Race!

 I read an article last week from NFL player Don Beebe about finishing the race. He was talking about a play in Super Bowl XXVII. The game featured the Buffalo Bills vs. The Dallas Cowboys. The play being talked about was a fumble by the Bills quarterback late in the game. A linemen for the Cowboys picked up the ball and headed for the end zone for an apparent sure touchdown. Little did he know that a speedy receiver by the name of Don Beebe was in the process of chasing him down. The linemen got close to the end zone and instead of just running it in and finishing the play, he decided to stick his hand out with the ball in it. Don caught him at about the one yard line and knocked the ball out of his hand preventing a Cowboys touchdown. The Cowboys were running away with the game and preventing that touchdown would not have helped the Bills win the game. But Don refused to give up. He had to pursue that linemen a long way to prevent that  touchdown, but he did. While Don was talking about this play so many years ago, he kept emphasizing "finish the race". If that linemen would have just kept going he would have had the touchdown. He decided to celebrate a little to early and that cost him. Didn't cost the team anything as they won the game handily. But it cost him. He received death threats. All kind of derogatory mail, calling him names. No matter how good of player he was, he's still remembered for that one play.

As I read the article I kept thinking about God and the race that He sets before us. He sets us on a path to run. It's not a sprint, but a marathon. God wants us to enjoy the race until we cross the ultimate finish line, to spend eternity with Jesus.

2 Timothy 4:7-8 The Message

7-8 This is the only race worth running. I’ve run hard right to the finish, believed all the way. All that’s left now is the shouting—God’s applause! Depend on it, he’s an honest judge. He’ll do right not only by me, but by everyone eager for his coming.

Sure we'll stumble and fall from time to time. But God wants us to get up and keep pressing on to the finish line. He wants us to remain humble and not to show boat as we approach the end of our race.

1 Corinthians 1:31 New Living Translation

31 Therefore, as the Scriptures say, “If you want to boast, boast only about the Lord.”

I am not going to brag about all the things that I think that I have accomplished. I am going to brag about what God has done for me. He gets all the credit, not me!

So I encourage you tonight to finish your race. Finish strong. Don't let the enemy get in your way or knock you off course, because trust me, he will. He would like nothing better.

So keep running towards Jesus and I'll be there cheering you on every step of the way!

God bless you all!