October 06, 2026 | Be Connected
Finishing the Race
Scripture: 2 Timothy 4:6-8(NIV)
6 For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.
Devotional
I ran track in high school. I wasn’t particularly fast, I couldn’t jump very high or far, and I certainly couldn't throw things a great distance. Honestly, I don’t remember much about my two years on the team, except for one thing: our coach constantly yelled at us to run through the finish line, not just to it.
This mantra stuck with me into adulthood. As a fifth-grade teacher, I used to put a motivational phrase in large cutout letters on my whiteboard each month and discuss it with my students to give us a focal point for our classwork. My phrase for May was always, “Through the Line.” I wanted students to know that I expected us to work hard through the final day of school and not allow “senioritis” to take over our classroom.
In today’s passage, I believe Paul is telling Timothy that he (Paul) is running through the finish line. Paul knows that his life is nearing its end. In the first part of verse 8, Paul tells Timothy, “Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness…” One of my study Bibles suggests that Paul’s reference to a crown was likely a comparison to the laurel wreaths awarded to the winners of Roman athletic games at the time. The laurel wreath crowns were highly sought after during Paul’s era, but he can’t wait to claim the crown that, according to the middle part of verse 8, “…the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award me on that day…”
The best part of today’s reading is the conclusion of verse 8. Paul tells Timothy, “…and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.” We can all win the race and claim the crown! We should all run through the line and claim eternal life with our Lord.
How is your race going? What can you do to ensure that you run through the finish line?
