Day 28: Finish Strong - Completing the Assignment

Focus Area - REACH FORWARD
Stretching Toward the Future

Scriptures: 2 Timothy 4:6-8 (NIV)

Reflection: Finishing strong is not about speed. It is about endurance, focus, and faith.

Expanded Focus:
A few years ago, I ran the DC Rock and Roll Marathon in weather I would not recommend to anyone. It was cold, wet, and miserable. And for those who do not know, a marathon is 26.2 miles. Twenty-six point two. Whoever added that point two clearly did not love God’s people.

Somewhere on the course, I reached a fork in the road. One direction lets runners finish the half-marathon. The other demanded every painful mile of the full race. For a moment, I thought, “Jesus would still love me if I turned left.” Thirteen point one miles and a warm shower sounded good. But my brother and friend, Myron Chivis, looked at me and said, “You did not train for halfway.” He was right. I came to finish. So I kept running… slowly, prayerfully, questioning my life choices… but I kept running.

That race taught me something spiritual. Finishing strong is a decision before it becomes a testimony. Paul writes his final words to Timothy from a Roman prison. His body is tired, and his circumstances are harsh. Yet he says with confidence, “I have fought, I have finished, I have kept the faith.”

Paul does not celebrate speed. He celebrates the refusal to quit. Finishing strong is not perfection. It is perseverance when you want to give up. It means choosing obedience when convenience is easier and trusting God when the outcome is unclear. It means finishing well in life by staying faithful to God’s assignments, honoring your commitments, sowing into your family, showing up in ministry without applause, and choosing growth over survival. God is building endurance in you. He is teaching you how to finish what He started.

Some of us began with momentum, but now the rain has set in, and the wind has picked up. Life is offering a half-marathon exit. BFB, please hear my heart. Do not settle for halfway. Do Not Quit! Finish what God started in you. God is not asking you to finish pretty. God just wants you to finish faithfully.

Questions to Consider:

1. Where have you been tempted to quit or settle for halfway in this season of your life?
2. What discipline or commitment needs renewed focus in this final stretch?
3. What one step can you take today that moves you closer to finishing The Stretch strong?