Crossing the Finish Line

Think of what he went through; how he put up with so much hatred from sinners! So do not let yourselves become discouraged and give up.

– Hebrews 12:3

It's one of the most remarkable scenes in Olympics history.   

The year was 1992, and 65,000 cheering fans packed the stadium in Barcelona, Spain, for the men's 400-meter race. This was Derek Redmond's second attempt for a medal. Four years earlier at the Seoul, South Korea, games, an Achilles tendon injury had forced him to drop out just minutes before the contest.

The race started well this time, with Derek — the British record holder — quickly taking the lead. But only 175 meters from the finish line, his right hamstring gave way. Derek began to hop and then slowed down before finally collapsing to the track. Medical personnel rushed to his aid to remove him on a stretcher. But with tears in his eyes, Derek refused to let his dream die.

"No," Derek told them. "I'm going to finish my race."

The injured athlete slowly rose from the track and hobbled in pain toward his goal. Jim Redmond, Derek's father, began pushing his way through the crowded stands as soon as he saw his son pull up lame.

"That's my son," the elder Redmond yelled to the bewildered security guards. "And I'm going to help him."

With 65,000 fans giving the pair a tremendous standing ovation, Jim Redmond did just that. He helped his son — painful step by painful step — round the track and cross the finish line.

Is it hard to relate to this story? When it comes to our faith-journey, we, too, can’t do it alone. Jesus told his early followers to expect obstacles and opposition. What’s more, he warned that following the crowd and taking the easy route leads to guaranteed disaster:

"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it," Jesus says. "But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."

Jesus is that small gate. And there's no other way to victory over pain, sorrow, and death except by placing our faith on him alone. So, wherever you are along your faith-journey, ask God to help you cross the finish line to victory. The reward will be far greater than a gold-plated medal and a standing ovation.

The Rest of the Story

That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

– 2 Corinthians 12:10

Paul Harvey’s remarkable career in radio spanned eight decades and began while he was still in high school. His broadcasts were heard on about 1,500 stations and his commentaries appeared in hundreds of newspapers. No doubt he was best known for a segment of his program called The Rest of the Story: a five-minute, true-life narrative that always concluded with a surprising — and often uplifting — twist revealing greater meaning and purpose in an otherwise mundane or difficult situation.

The Rest of the Story maintained its popularity over the years because it always resonated with Harvey’s millions of listeners. They readily identified with the famous announcer’s depictions of the unpleasant realities and struggles faced by the common man (and woman).  

What unpleasant realities have you had to face?  Whatever they are, it’s a fact of life that you can count on enduring more. Sometimes they come out of the blue, like an auto accident or a natural disaster. And others might be more of our own making, like an arrest for drunk driving or the agony of a broken marriage. The difference for Christ-followers, however, is that we have access to a loving Father who’s here to help us get through the hardest of times. We worship a caring God who gives us both faith and hope. 

God also specializes in taking the worst situations and turning them toward good. For example, the first Christ-followers were stalked, arrested, and sometimes executed for worshipping Jesus. But this only caused the new, upstart faith to spread far and wide from Jerusalem and into Asia and Europe. And what can we learn from the apostle Paul’s life story? Although he spread the Gospel across the Mediterranean and made many converts, he spent years in jail before his eventual execution. And that might sound like wasted potential. Couldn’t God have kept Paul free so he could preach to thousands more and establish other churches in distant lands?

Yes, God could have done that. But he had a much better plan for advancing the name of Jesus. While Paul was in shackles, the so-called Apostle to the Gentiles spent his time writing much of what we know today as the New Testament — words of truth that over the centuries have helped lead millions of men and women away from their destructive lifestyles and over to abundant lives and eternal life. And it’s all because ours is a God who already knows The Rest of the Story.