FINISHING THE RACE
Opening Prayer
Lord, give me the grace to finish the race successfully.
Read ACTS 20:13–24
13 We went on ahead to the ship and sailed for Assos, where we were going to take Paul aboard. He had made this arrangement because he was going there on foot. 14 When he met us at Assos, we took him aboard and went on to Mitylene. 15 The next day we set sail from there and arrived off Chios. The day after that we crossed over to Samos, and on the following day arrived at Miletus. 16 Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus to avoid spending time in the province of Asia, for he was in a hurry to reach Jerusalem, if possible, by the day of Pentecost.
17 From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church. 18 When they arrived, he said to them: “You know how I lived the whole time I was with you, from the first day I came into the province of Asia. 19 I served the Lord with great humility and with tears and in the midst of severe testing by the plots of my Jewish opponents. 20 You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house. 21 I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.
22 “And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. 23 I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. 24 However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.
New International Version (NIV)
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Reflect
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith” (Heb. 12:1,2).
This section begins with further information about Paul’s itinerary as he travels from Troas to Miletus (13–15), his determination to reach Jerusalem for Pentecost (16) and his decision to avoid Ephesus. However, having spent three years with the Christians in Ephesus (Acts 20:31), he has clearly built up a close relationship with them, so that his summons to the elders brings them the 30 miles south to Miletus.
In this first part of his farewell speech to the elders, Paul reviews his ministry among them (18–21) and anticipates his future (22–24). In reviewing his ministry, he refers to events they are aware of and can affirm. As he looks forward to arriving in Jerusalem, he acknowledges the Holy Spirit as “compelling” him to go (22), despite the uncertainty of what will happen and the warning by the Spirit that he will suffer. This knowledge does not deter him because he knows that his life revolves around his God-given assignment, to which he is totally committed and wishes to complete.
What would you want to compose as your farewell speech? Could you review your life and make the claims Paul makes, knowing that those who know you best would be able to affirm their veracity? Perhaps even more challenging is what Paul says about his future. Are we under the compulsion of the Holy Spirit in everything we do? If we were given the insight of verse 23, would we be able to echo Paul’s words in verse 24? Do we really consider our lives worth nothing compared with faithfully fulfilling our God-given assignment? We need to take on Paul’s aim to “finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given” (24)!
Apply
At the end of his life, Paul could say, “I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Tim. 4:7). Let’s keep going so that we finish well.
Closing prayer
Lord, as I recount the life I have lived, I pray that it be well-pleasing to You.
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