Everyone loves a good finish to a race when the runners battle, dive, or crawl across the finish line. No matter how much jockeying for position happens during a race, it all comes down to the finish. Few races can match the drama of the 2016 US Olympic Trials. Jenna Prandini and Allyson Felix battled it out in the 200 meters for the Olympic team’s final spot. Felix came up short by just 0.01 seconds. Felix was nursing a sore ankle, and a diving Jenna Prandini had reached the finish line in such a blur that no one was sure who got that third spot. A late lean didn’t work for Felix, ending her hopes of winning a 200-400 double in the Olympics.

2 Timothy 3 – Spiritual Race

Most can start a race strong, but few finish well. In the second part of 2 Timothy, Paul shifted his focus on helping the believers finish well against persecution and ungodliness. Any successful runner will tell you finishing a race well starts with a commitment to strenuous training. Timothy had received some of the best training in his life (2 Tim. 1:5; 3:15), which continued under Paul’s tutoring. As Paul reached the finish line, he urged his mentee to keep running as he had begun. Paul knew the toughest part of the race was coming (3:12-15).

Paul’s instructions to Timothy apply to all believers, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Paul knew what you think about the Bible, influencing everything you believe and your behavior. The idea of training in this passage is to show the correct behavior before mistakes are made. Every coach knows the importance of teaching their team what and how to think before they compete.

 The Kingdom Coach and Athlete are serious about their relationship with the Bible. They spend time regularly reading, studying, and memorizing Scripture. They devote themselves to developing an understanding of God’s Word that applies not just to their athletics but to their entire lives. Their priority in life is to finish the spiritual race well by training in the Scriptures.