Finish Well

The Olympics, Good Books, and Persevering unto the End

Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash

As I write this, it’s October, and the 2024 Olympic Games are officially old news.

The entire enterprise surrounding the games this year was equal parts controversial, entertaining, and satisfying.

The Paris games proved somewhat divisive because of a few culturally hot talking points, but the viewing audience was largely unphased. Why, you ask? It’s simple.

Sports.

If there’s one thing that’ll help us look the other way or forget our greater angst, it is SPORTS.

At the Paris Games 2024, gymnastics became the focus for Americans.

Gymnastics is an interesting sport where competitors must fuse raw athleticism and artistic finesse. Simone Biles is 4’8” but can jump the equivalent height of a professional basketball player—while flipping in the air and holding a perfect smile.

I don’t claim to understand most of what goes into gymnastics score judgment. I was totally lost without “experts” joining me on the couch for this go-around of the games (shoutout to my small group brothers and sisters).

What I did discern about the scoring was this: Stick the landing. In other words, if you botch the landing, you lose major points. Not to mention, if you don’t land well, the audience has a sour taste lingering as their lasting impression of the performance.

Stick the Landing

A good finish is important to us.

I think of good books and movies, in particular.

A few months ago, I finished East of Eden by John Steinbeck, and it’s a great example of a full and riveting book that concludes with a lackluster ending.

Perhaps the supreme example of this is the epilogue of the Harry Potter series, where we learn that grown-up Harry has named his three children using six of the earlier characters’ names.

Is Albus Severus Potter a mouthful? Yes
Does it lack creativity? [womp womp]

I’m a J.K. truther, but that wasn’t it. By the time she had finished, was she tired? Did she pass it off to an assistant? I needed something less cliche.

Much like the best literature, the Bible presents a narrative with all the elements of a good story. There’s setting, crisis, rising action, climax, falling action, and ultimately the resolution. It is, indeed, divine literature.

Zooming out, we can see the grandeur of the story of redemption, where sin and devastation culminate at the cross, and Jesus ushers in the rescue that will echo for all eternity.

And the paradigm also applies to the Christian life. In a sense, it’s all about the finish.

Finish Well

Much of the New Testament sounds a similar refrain: Stay alert until the day of Christ.

Mark 13:35-36
Therefore stay awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning— lest he come suddenly and find you asleep.

1 Thessalonians 5:6
So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober.

Revelation 16:15
“Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, …

What is meant by this repeated call to alertness?

On the one hand, God intends for us to be on watch for the enemy’s unrelenting attacks. By staying fastened to Christ, we can walk securely in the light.

Staying alert also means we keep our eyes on the day that is to come. When Christ returns, we will be with him, but it will be too late for those who’ve not yet bent the knee. With the Great Commission in scope, go-time is now.

Yet, the primary emphasis in the Scriptures for spiritual alertness is likely what Paul intends to exhort when he says, “Work out your salvation.” (Philippians 2:12)

We know Paul isn’t encouraging Christians to further secure their salvation. We can’t do anything to solidify our status with God or build up enough credit to keep our balances high enough when that final day comes. No, Paul’s aim—like Jesus’—is for the Christian to cling evermore and every day to the cross.

In mechanical terms, I don’t believe God literally renews our salvation each day (as if he lacked sufficient fuel on day 1). Still, I find it helpful to consider the value of our renewal activity—reminding ourselves of our trust in the Savior.

Think of it like refreshing a webpage. There’s no fear the website has crashed, but we’re reestablishing—“yes, I am depending on Jesus for my life and breath and eternity. Today, fresh and anew—He is my everything—and I can trust him for tomorrow. I’m not going through the motions. This is real and visceral today, just as it was yesterday.”

However, when we cling to the cross daily, we don’t merely experience something passive—God saving us. We also experience the continuation of salvation by the fruit that God intends to blossom from our branches. Our lives should demonstrate attitudes and behavior that demonstrate “working out our salvation” or, to use the terms above, daily renewal.

How do we stick the landing? How do we finish well?

We keep our eyes fixed on the King.

But there’s another component we must reckon with this matter.

Let’s go back to the gymnastics analogy for a moment.

Most good gymnasts can hit a backflip. One of my friends, Ryan, was never a gymnast but could pop a strong backflip into his twenties. Now, with three decades behind him, he is mourning that skill that is all but gone.

For gymnasts, doing a backflip becomes muscle memory, but it doesn’t begin that way. I imagine it first feels unnatural and quite dangerous. Most professional gymnasts start when they’re preschoolers. In those early days, they might perform a backflip, but it will be with the help of a spotter—someone helping their body learn the motion and land safely.

In the Christian life, God acts as our spotter and guide. He is helping us, navigating us, empowering us to stick the landing.

Christian, understand this plainly. It is Christ who will persevere you to the end.

Whether you wrestle with intellectual doubt, a frustrating draw to particular sins, or devastating life circumstances and suffering—the Savior is keeping you saved. He is moving you toward the final day—or, if you will, he is holding you steady and moving the day of glory closer to you.

And what a glorious day it will be.

—

As a bonus, I can’t recommend highly enough one of my favorite artists and one of his more recent songs. “Watchman” by Josh Garrels is a fantastic expression of this principle of waiting until that day with hope.

I’ve included the lyrics and a link to the song below.

If I’m fully honest
I’m waiting on Your promise
Even through the trauma that swept my friends away

The darkness is upon us
The death of saints and psalmists
But I will sing my song for You anyway

Because You’re all I have Lord, You are the way
And I’ll always love You, and I will wait
Like a watchman, at the gate
Waiting for morning, to break

I can feel the winds are changing
Getting further down the range and
Truth is looking stranger than the lies

Because it’s simple and it’s holy
It’s better than they told me
Jesus You’re my only guiding light

And You’re all I have Lord, you are the way
And I’ll alway love You, and I will wait
Like a watchman, at the gate
Waiting for morning to break

Waiting to hear You say
Come on, enter in to my rest
And lay your head upon my chest
For I have called you friend
Because you kept your lamp burning through the night
And you made your garments pure and white
By my good sacrifice
Yeah, singing now my kingdom is with man
So come up to my table and
Raise up this glass with Me
Oh, singing no more tears and no more pain
I’m making all things new again
Just like I promised you
Sing alleluia all the way

And I’ll always love You
And I will wait
Like a watchman at the gate

Lord, I’m a watchman at the gate
I’m waiting for morning to break
I’m waiting for morning to break
Keep my lamp burning
Stay awake