54 The Final Stage of the Race

Copyright © 2026 Michael A. Brown

      When athletes run a middle- or long-distance race, in the first stages they generally run at a measured pace, to make sure they leave enough energy for the end of the race and do not tire themselves out before then.  Those that do run too fast in the early stages tend to fall back in the latter stages and may even finish last.  They have to pace themselves properly.  And, of course, there are others who unfortunately stumble and fall at some stage.  They often retire from the race or, if they do get up and continue, most of the time they do not have any further impact.  They tend to finish well behind the rest.

      But as the race enters its final lap, and especially as the runners are going down the back straight and into the final bend, their pace increases.  Each athlete knows that the race is entering into its final stage and will soon come to an end.  They want to win, or at least do as well as they can in the hope of getting a medal.  They know this is their only chance to finish well and perhaps win, so their running becomes much freer and faster.  Their eye is on the finishing line and they know it’s only a couple of hundred metres or so away, so, even though they are already weary and their legs are tired from the race, yet they give it all they’ve got.  They run as fast as they can, straining every muscle and throwing caution to the wind, and they really go for that finishing line.  As spectators, we are always gripped by this latter stage of the race, it’s the most exciting part.  We cheer our favourite on, hoping they will win.  And don’t we always feel a glow inside if s/he breaks the tape, crosses the line first and wins?  And don’t we always feel gutted for a runner who stumbles and falls in the last few metres, after having put so much effort in and coming so close to winning, bur failing right at the last?

      We get to a stage in life, often in our sixties, when we begin to see those that we have known for many years, passing on and going to their heavenly reward.  Family members, friends, our first pastor, our favourite preachers, guys we knew at Bible school many years ago, colleagues in ministry with whom we have laboured fruitfully over the years, the first generation of believers that came to Christ through our ministry and whom we pastored and cared for as they grew in faith.  Of course, people can pass away at any time of life, we know that, but generally speaking, it is those who are a bit older than us and are of the previous generation who go first.  However, as the years continue to go by, we begin to realise that those who are passing are about the same age as we are or even younger than us, so it’s our own generation that is now passing.

      Older people in church have often told me that you get to a stage in life where all you seem to be doing is attending the funerals of those who have passed away before you.  And even though you know this is true, yet the realisation of what it’s like to experience it only hits you and sinks in when it begins to happen around you.  It dawns on you that you are now in the final stage of your own race.

      It’s always comforting to know that people we love and respect, that we have known in the Lord or worked closely with in ministry, are still alive.  Although some of them we may not see very often or even at all anymore, yet others we can quietly observe from afar through social media, and there is an inner sense that we are all still running the race together.  We draw encouragement from them: from occasional brief messages they may send, from their social media posts, or from seeing what the Lord is doing through them.  We know that they are still walking faithfully with him, even as they face many of the struggles and situations of life that perhaps we too are facing.  They are still running the race, just as we ourselves are.

      However, when we hear that one of them has passed away, we know that the race for them has finished.  They have passed into their eternal joy and peace, and they will receive their reward.  We are happy for them, but also, deep down, we feel it and part of us grieves.  They are no longer here and their place in our life, no matter how small or insignificant it may have been, is empty.  We will miss them.  Another one, yet another one, has passed, and the circle of those we hold dear is getting smaller.  There are fewer of us left…

      But there is another more positive side to this.  Even through grief is real, and missing people is real, yet we ourselves still continue in the race.  Even though hopefully we still have many years left in our own life, yet the increasing passing of our generation, the people we have known in our journey, makes clear to us that we are in the final stage of our race.  That finishing line is ahead of us, and it is now much nearer than it was years ago when we were in the middle stage of our race and didn't care to think much about finishing.  So, although we may be weary from the demands of life or from decades spent ministering to others, yet the time has come where we can cut loose as it were and be much freer in our running.  Although physically we do need to pace ourselves properly as we get older, yet those who have already passed away are cheering us on to give the Lord’s work all we’ve got with the time and energy we still have.  We can give it a few last shots as it were, and finish well.

      So, my friend, if you are aware that you are in the final stage of your race, do make sure that you pace yourself properly as you continue on, but do also run well, run hard and run free.  Don’t slow off and fall back, don’t give up!  Don’t put your feet up and become passive!  Keep on being productive in God’s work in whatever way you can!  Be an example to those around you and to those who observe you quietly from afar, and keep on running!  Press into God regularly, live a life that pleases him, and renew yourself in his strength and grace every day!  Keep your eye fixed on breaking that tape, crossing that line and finishing well!

‘Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great crowd of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.’ (Heb. 12:1)

‘Run in such a way as to get the prize… we [run] to get a crown that will last for ever.’ (1 Cor. 9:24-25)

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