At the end of the race we cross the finish line and collect our teeshirts, usually emblazoned on the back with "I finished." There's a great sense of camaraderie as everyone dons their teeshirts and mills around together. There are people of all shapes and sizes and ages and levels of fitness. We are there to support some wonderful charities who work tirelessly all year around to make our community a better place. This year it was for the Kids Helpline, which as the name implies, is a 24 hour telephone counselling service for young people in need of assistance. So most of the participants in the walk/run are there to help out someone else.
The apostle Paul likened the Christian life to running a race. In his letter to the Philippian church he writes: "Forgetting the things that are behind and reaching out for the things that are ahead, with this goal in mind, I strive toward the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3:13,14). We too have a distance to travel to our destination. We have a goal in mind - heaven. Our lives are not for our own benefit alone, but are undertaken to assist and benefit others and point them in the direction where they will be drawn to Jesus Christ through the power of His Holy Spirit. Yet, like the participants in the Bridge to Brisbane, by blessing others we are ourselves greatly blessed. It is a biblical principle that you reap what you sow. You cannot give to others without receiving encouragement yourself.
Like the apostle Paul, in his final epistle to his protege, Timothy, before his martydom, I would like to be able to say when my life is drawing to a close :"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." (2 Timothy 4:7)
I want to remain true to Christ throughout my earthly life. And when I get to heaven, I want a "Life, I finished" teeshirt.
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