In 1968, John Stephen Akhwari was running for his country, Tanzania, in the Olympics hosted by Mexico City. During the 42-km race, he cramped up and collided with other racers. On his fall, he dislocated his shoulder and wounded his knee dreadfully. As Akhwari scrambled to get up, he was covered in a mixture of blood, dirt, and sweat. It was obvious that John Stephen Akhwari needed medical attention; surely he would pull out of the race.
But John shocked the world when he started running again—well, actually, he didn’t run; he slowly limped, all the way to the finish line. His time: 3:25:27, an hour later than the winner, Mamo Wolde. His spectators: a small crowd—practically everyone had left the stadium. His finishing place: last out of all the fifty-seven competitors who completed the race. When it was all over, a stray interviewer asked John Stephen Akhwari, “Why didn’t you quit?” His response was, “My country did not send me 5,000 miles to start the race; they sent me 5,000 miles to finish the race.”
Christian, God did not save you to start the race. He saved you so that you might finish the race. I know you may feel like giving up; it’s so hard battling for purity. It can feel too hard to follow Jesus—and you’re right! Being a Christian is tough, but when you finally cross the finish line and can say like the apostle Paul, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Tim. 4:7–8), it will all be worth it. So, dear Christian, whatever you do, don’t give up today!
