A lot of people start out the Christian life with so much promise. They are off and running while they leave everyone else in their dust. But when they collapse and fall, they don’t get up. They may crawl off or slow down. Or maybe they round a bend and simply walk away as though they never intended to run the spiritual race. There will be times in our lives as Christians when we collapse and fall. And when that happens, all we can do is get up again. When Paul was approaching the end of his life, he wrote, “As for me, my life has already been poured out as an offering to God. The time of my death is near. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful” (2 Timothy 4:6–7 NLT). Notice that he didn’t say, “I ran the race.” No, he said, “I finished the race.” That is the key. It is not enough to start well; we need to finish well too. It is not enough to run fast; we need to run fast and long. This is a long-distance run, and the goal is to make it across the finish line. In 2 Peter 1:10–11 the apostle Peter urges us, “So, dear brothers and sisters, work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen. Do these things, and you will never fall away. Then God will give you a grand entrance into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (NLT). Keep running, because you’re going to leave a legacy. Paul wanted to join the ranks of those who had crossed the finish line. He wanted to be in the company of those in God’s winner’s circle, men like Joshua and Caleb in the Old Testament who finished their races well. This is a long-distance run. So, if you have been slowing down, it’s time to speed up. | 
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