Episode 70 - Finishing Strong

It's exciting to start something.  But after a while our engergy and the excitement can wane.  This is true in our spiritual life as well.

In this episode we'll look at the importance of finishing strong as we walk with our Master.

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Transcript

Hello Friends.  Welcome to Walking With Our Master.  I’m your host Dave Laton.  

Whether you’re starting your morning or winding down your evening, let’s take a few moments to center our hearts on some thoughts about what really matters.

We are approaching the season of spring.  It is usually thought of as a time of new beginnings.  We see flowers and trees beginning to put on new growth.  We see animals and birds more active as the days get longer and temperatures warm.

But in today’s episode, I, not looking at new beginning, but finishing strong.

Not just starting strong. Not just looking strong for a while. But finishing strong.

Paul makes a great statement about this to Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:7.  It was written to Timothy but it is an encouragement for us.

Paul said, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."

Those words were written near the end of Paul’s life. He wasn’t looking ahead anymore. He was looking back. And he didn’t talk about fame, success, or accomplishments.

He talked about faithfulness.

Most of us know how to start things. Starting a project is exciting. Starting a new goal feels motivating. Starting something spiritual — reading the Bible, praying more, leading the family better — can feel energizing.

 But the truth is, starting is the easy part. Finishing is different. Finishing takes endurance. Anyone who has ever built something knows this. The first day of a project is exciting. But then work gets harder. The progress slows down. The excitement fades.

That’s when finishing becomes a matter of character. 

Paul uses the picture of a race. Not a sprint — a long-distance race. And long-distance races are not won in the first hundred yards. They’re won when we keep putting one foot in front of the other.

One of the biggest dangers for us — especially as we get older — is coasting. We start well.  We build a career. We build a family. We build a life. And somewhere along the way we start thinking, “I’ve done enough.”

 But the Christian life isn’t designed for coasting. We never see a runner in the middle of a race just lean back and drift across the track. Finishing strong requires staying engaged. 

 In our walk with the Master, we finish strong when we keep praying, even during times when God feels silent. We finish strong when we stay faithful to the Master, even when drifting seems easier.

 I think the hardest part of any race is the middle.  At the beginning we’re energized. At the end the finish line pulls you forward. But the middle? That’s where the struggle lives. Many of us are living in the middle of our race today.  We’re raising kids, caring for aging parents, maybe our work feels demanding and exhausting.  And sometimes the question creeps in: “Is this all there is?”

But the middle miles are where endurance is built. God does some of His best work in the middle of the race. In the quiet, unseen times. In the daily responsibilities. In the ordinary moments of faithfulness. That’s where character is shaped. That’s where we learn perseverance. And that’s where finishing strong is quietly formed.

Here’s something important to understand. Finishing strong isn’t about having endless personal strength. It’s about drawing strength from God.

Paul wrote those words in 2 Timothy after a lifetime of hardship. He had been imprisoned. Beaten. Rejected. Shipwrecked. Misunderstood. Yet near the end of his life he could say, “I have finished the race.”

 Not because life had been easy. But because God had been faithful. We often feel pressure to carry everything alone. We think strength means never struggling. But real strength comes from knowing where to turn when we are weak.

I love Isaiah 40:31. He states, "But they who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength."

God doesn't just call men to run the race. He provides the strength to keep running.

One day we will reach the final stretch of our race. And when that day comes, the things the world celebrates will matter very little. Titles fade. Awards collect dust. Careers eventually end. But something else remains.

Our faith. Our example. Our influence on the people God placed in our life. Our children remember a father who was present. A wife remembers a husband who was faithful.

The greatest legacy a man can leave behind is a life of faithfulness. Not perfection. But perseverance. Not spotlight moments. But a lifetime of quiet obedience.

So what does finishing strong look like right now? It looks like small daily decisions.

Opening the Word of God even when we’re tired. Whispering a prayer when the day begins. Choosing patience instead of anger. Speaking encouragement instead of criticism. Standing for what is right even when it is unpopular.

 Finishing strong is not built in one heroic moment. It is built one faithful day at a time.

Think about a long road trip. We don’t reach our destination in one leap. We get there mile by mile. Walking with the Master works the same way. Faithfulness today leads to faithfulness tomorrow. And eventually those miles add up to a life well lived.

 Maybe as you’re listening today you feel tired. Maybe life has taken a few unexpected turns. Maybe you've stumbled along the way. Here’s the good news.

 Finishing strong does not require a perfect past. It requires a faithful present. The race isn’t over until it’s over. God’s grace allows us to rise again. To recommit. To refocus. To keep moving forward.

No matter where we are in our journey today, we can decide something important: I will finish strong.

Paul’s words echo across the centuries: "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."

What a testimony. Imagine reaching the end of our journey and being able to say the same thing. Not because life was easy. But because God was faithful.

So today, wherever you are in your race Keep going.  Stay faithful in the small things. Lean on God when your strength runs thin. And remember this:

 Starting well is good. But by God’s grace, we want to finish strong.

Thanks for listening today as together we walk with our Master.  Please join us again next week as we continue seeking truth, growing in faith, and getting back to what really matters.