But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy. (Acts 20:24)



From August 8 through 24, 2008, the world's eyes will be focused on Beijing, China, host of the 2008 Olympic Games. If any contest in the Olympics epitomizes the original Greek games, it has to be the marathon, the 26-mile foot race that is traditionally the final event of the summer Olympics. After such a long race, runners cross the finish line with a variety of expressions: some with arms raised in joyful exultation, others with expressions of pain and anguish.

The apostle Paul wrote that he wanted to finish his spiritual race with joy. And in Paul's case, the way he ran the race was the same as the way he finished. The spiritual race is not about the fastest or the one with the most style, it is about faithfulness—running the race with the joy of the Lord. Nehemiah 8:10 says that the joy of the Lord is our strength. That means, if we have the joy of the Lord, we can run the race and cross the finish line with the same strength with which we began.

For the Christian, entering heaven shouldn't be our only moment of joy. If the joy of the Lord is our strength, every step we take is a winning moment.