Articles
Don't Celebrate Too Early
I have to confess: I am one of those people who enjoy watching those "Fail" videos where people attempt to do something and fail spectacularly, or at least humorously. I've seen "Top 10 Best NFL Finishes" and "Top 10 Worst NFL Finishes," the "Top FAILS of the Month," and a recent favorite: "Celebrating Too Early." The last one features athletes who thought they were going to win their game or race and began celebrating, only to be defeated by a last-second push by someone else, or a ball that continued to bounce.
Maybe you've seen these videos? One is of a speed skater who, as he enters the final stretch, raises both arms in apparent victory because he has a substantial lead, and he begins to essentially coast to the finish line. Unknown to him, though, is a competitor who hasn't given up and is giving it all he has, and who edges out the celebrating skater by about two inches at the finish line. Then there's the cyclist who does the same thing, edged out by about the same length after a fifty-mile race. In another clip, one cyclist actually celebrated as he crossed what he thought was the finish line with the rest of the pack several yards behind him, only to have them catch up to him and begin to pass him as they completed the real last lap. [He finished eighth.] The most memorable was a college-level distance runner who had put about a quarter-lap distance between himself and the other runners in a 10,000-meter race, and who also began celebrating as he rounded the last turn; all of the remaining portion, he was waving his right arm in the air, exhorting the crowd to cheer him on and his great victory.
They were cheering wildly, but not for him. While he was busy relishing his apparent victory and cruising to what he thought was an easy win, one runner was sprinting to the finish and passed him literally inches ahead of the boastful runner at the finish line. The look on the boastful runner's face was priceless as he saw the man pass him and finish ahead of him. I'm guessing the crowd was certainly entertained by his foolish actions, and now many others are, too. That runner will certainly be remembered, but not for the reason he would have desired.
I am sure we are familiar with the apostle Paul's likening of our life as a disciple to a runner who is competing for a prize, and his exhortation to then “Run in such a way that you may obtain it” (1 Cor. 9:24); maybe we also remember the writer of Hebrews, who exhorted us to “lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith” (Heb. 12:1, 2).
Maybe we remember the apostle Paul waited until he was at the finish line — near the end of his earthly life -— before he wrote, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day” (2 Tim. 4:7, 8). He knew that he could not claim to have finished until he finished! He knew that all disciples, as the writer of Hebrews put it, “have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise” (Heb. 10:36). The thing is, the runner doesn't get the prize until he has completed the race. The Christian does not get the crown until he has finished this earthly life, and after he has stood before the King and Judge. It would be supremely — and eternally — foolish to claim the crown before we have finished our race!
Let us consider now a few reasons why it is foolish for Christians to "celebrate early" their eternal reward, and to 'ease up' on their spiritual race.
We Have An Adversary. In sports competitions, there is almost always one who is competing against another, or many others. In such competitions, the aim is to win, and if one wins, someone else loses. In the spiritual race, we are not competing against one another, but against our spiritual adversary — for our very soul! We are striving to “enter through the narrow gate” that leads to salvation (Luke 13:24), and he is striving to steer us through the wide gate and keep us on the broad, smooth way that leads to our destruction (Matt. 7:13). If we think he is just going to roll over and let us win, we have another thing coming!
We need to not be ignorant of the tactics our adversary will use (cf. 2 Cor. 2:11) to defeat us. He will distract us, tempt us with our own desires (cf. Jas. 1:14), and he will whisper in our ears, "You'll never win! You can't do this! You'll never make it!" as he tries to discourage us and keep us from winning the race. He knows that when we win, he loses!
We Will Get Weary. Long-distance runners are a special lot; they can seemingly run all day with little or no effort [which is extremely deceiving to the casual observer], and can somehow find it in themselves to 'kick it in' and find the energy for a sprint as they near the finish line. The problem, though, is the middle part of the race where they cannot see the finish line or the start line, and they've come far enough for it to start affecting their bodies and their mental resolve. They have spent so much energy to get as far as they have, but know there is quite a distance to go and, if they are not physically or mentally prepared for it, will be tempted to slow down or even quit.
It is in those times of weariness that we, too, will be tempted to slow down or even quit in our race to eternity. Maybe we have done good for so long with little to no apparent difference made that we start to question whether or not it is worth it. Maybe we have just been worn down by the fight and our stamina is starting to fail us. Maybe we can't remember why we began the race, or can't see the finish line just yet.
It is then we must remember to “not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart” (Gal. 6:9). It is then that we must remember to be always “abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Cor. 15:58). It is then we must remember to push through those trials, knowing it is the “man who perseveres under trial…once he has been approved,…will receive the crown of life” (Jas. 1:12, NASB).
We Aren't Done Yet. As noted earlier, it is foolish to 'celebrate early' when we haven't finished our race yet! For many of us, we have a long way to go to get to the finish line, and much work to be done. If we 'let up' now, or if we think we've already won, it is quite possible that we could be defeated and miss out on the prize altogether!
The writer of Hebrews exhorted the early disciples to not 'let up,' but “since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it” (Heb. 4:1), and to “be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall” (Heb. 4:11). We won't get the prize if we ease up before the finish line because we think we have 'done enough,' if we get off course, or if we just quit the race.
Strive to win, but don't celebrate too early! — Steven Harper
