The Finish Line Obsession

Several years ago, I rode my bicycle cross country, traversing 3,400 miles in about a month. Symbolically beginning the journey, I dipped my rear tire into the Pacific Ocean and then straddled my bike and started pedaling eastward. Riding 10-12 hours each day over the next four weeks, I had but a single, all-consuming goal: to dunk my front tire in the Atlantic Ocean to complete the crossing.

Purpose-Driven Creatures

When I look back today on that bicycle trek, I don’t much think of that finish line anymore. Yes, I appreciate actually making it all the way across, but what I truly relish are the experiences, many of which were difficult, that I had on route. I recall that dreadful first night in the California desert thinking I’d never survive another day; the 12-hour straight, high altitude climb up the Colorado Rockies; and the ride across the Kansas plains in a 40-mph crosswind, in which I struggled just to stay upright on my bike. At the time, I didn’t savor these events much, given my preoccupation with the finish line. But, paradoxically, these hard times are the memories which linger in my mind as the years go by. For it was in these tough moments that I was stretched, pulled, and tugged – ultimately growing as I persevered through them.

I think our Christian walk is much the same way. We are purpose-driven creatures living in a goal-focused society. We are consumed, even obsessed by finish lines. Yet, as I study the Scriptures, I am learning to realize that God does not give much importance to end goals like we do. Yes, God is concerned about our aspirations, but I suspect He is far more interested in the growth that occurs in our lives in pursuit of these ends compared to the actual goals themselves.

Pitfalls of Finish Lines

In reading Paul’s epistles, it is clear that the overarching ambition of a disciple should be to become more like Christ today than we were yesterday. However, in real life, we allow ourselves to become preoccupied with far more practical, down-to-earth finish lines. These can be grouped into two categories.

• Unfulfilled desire is one kind of finish line. Examples of this include a better job, a larger home, an early retirement, or savings for college. While striving for these goals is not bad, the pitfall with this type of finish line is that it often becomes a distraction to our walk with Christ. We become preoccupied with that “future something” rather than being content with the present. But in so doing, we end up doing exactly what I did on my bike trip: ignoring the opportunities God was providing along the way in my quest for an end thousands of miles away.

• Resolution of uncertainty is a second type of finish line. When we face a major decision, significant life change, or insecurity, our natural tendency is to simply want the ambiguity to be over and done with, so we can get on with our lives. The pitfall in this case is that resolution becomes the security for us rather than trusting in God in the midst of the process.

In our walk with Christ, we need to stop thinking of the time before the finish as an ordeal to withstand while we await the outcome. Instead, the pursuit needs to be seen for what it actually is: God’s gift to us as believers. For it is in precisely these times that we choose whether we are to become more like Christ or more like the world; whether we will find more of our security in the Lord or in our own crafted solutions; or whether we will choose contentment today or hold out for a prize at a later time.

Learning To Embrace The Race

In my quest for making a living as a full-time Christian author, I have faced 4.5 years of uncertainties and constant challenges to provide for my family. I find myself naturally yearning for all of the questions I have to be answered. I constantly need to remind myself of four practical steps that all disciples should take to “embrace the race.”

First, recognize the growth opportunity. Whether I am faced with a big decision or are focused towards a long-term goal, I first need to discern the Lord’s hand in my situation and realize it as an opportunity to grow in Christ.

Second, trust Him. It sounds simple, but trust is surely the biggest obstacle to getting rid of this finish line obsession. If I earnestly believe God is leading me along towards the finish line, insecurity and uncertainty will be removed. Oswald Chambers offered a great outlook on trust when asked about how he was dealing with an unsure situation in his life:

I do not know [what the outcome will be]. However, He knows and I know He knows, and I know that I’ll never think of anything He will forget, so I just go steadily on as I have always done, and He will engineer the circumstances.

As Chambers says, we have a God that engineers circumstances. But until I fully believe that promise and live it out in faith, I will never be able to take my eyes off of the finish line. Without this level of trust, I will inevitably feel compelled to manufacture the result rather than relying on God to do so.

Third, get perspective. Uncertainty and goal quests have a tendency to become all encompassing, causing me to lose perspective. Yet, in the midst of the race, I need to step back and look at the situation in light of eternity. When I get to heaven, I don’t suspect that I will dwell too much on my earthly finish lines. Instead, I think I will be relishing the journey I made towards those ends, for that was when I grew the most in my relationship with Christ.

Fourth, commit to the only finish line of importance. I need to get focused on my true aim in life as a disciple – throwing out, one cell at a time, my sin nature for a Godly nature; this commitment should also transform my prayer life. So, when I pray, I need to pray not just for the outcome, but for the race as well. Praying for contentment and trust on route regardless of the outcome is a true litmus test of where a disciple’s heart is. If all I really long for is the finish line, then perhaps I am really using God purely as a means to that end. But if I properly balance the end goal with my pursuit of it, then I can fully experience the growth God intends for me in the midst of this race.