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Articles: Devotion | Keep Running Till The End
- Jonnalagadda Jonnalagadda
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You may have heard the story of John Stephen Akhwari, the marathon runner from Tanzania who finished last at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City. No last-place finisher in a marathon ever finished quite so last.
Injured along the way, he hobbled into the stadium with his leg bloodied and bandaged. It was more than an hour after the rest of the runners had completed the race. Only a few spectators were left in the stands when Akhwari finally crossed the finish line.
When asked why he continued to run despite the pain, Akhwari replied, 'My country did not send me to Mexico City to start the race. They sent me here to finish'.
The attitude of that athlete ought to be our attitude till the end of our life. There is a 'race that is set before us' (Hebrews 12:1), and we are to keep running until we reach the finish line.
The athlete had not felt guilt of himself for being so late to finish. He knew that surely he can’t win the race. Without all these feelings or discouragements his only attitude is to finish the race. In the same passion we too should not look for the success or failure of our works. But our only responsibility is to do the service god assigned us. It is very easy for any one to start, but only thing where many fail is, reaching the finishing line.
I am sure that many might have forgotten the winner of that day’s race. But nobody who came to know about that race will ever forget Akhwari. Same will be the result of our service. It will never be ignored in the sight of god, if we serve with the attitude of that athlete (that is, without seeing for the fruit, but our only desire is to fulfill the purpose of god towards us).
No one should step back to serve God. We must keep growing, maturing, and serving to the end of our days. To idle away from that race in the middle is to rob the church of the choicest gifts God has given us to share. There is service to be rendered. There is still much to be done.
So, “Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us'.
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