Finishing last

My freshman year of high school I ran cross country. It was the perfect sport - you couldn't get cut from the team. To say that I "ran" might be a misnomer. No one ever accused me of being fast. Some encouraged me to "run" - meaning I must not have been. It sure felt like I was running inside.

Going into the last race of the season, I had never placed to win a medal (the top 10 spots). There were 11 runners in this final race. I knew it was my moment. I didn't have to win, I just needed to pick one person and stick to them like peanut butter and then slide by at the end. It ended up not being close - 10 of us finished as a group (I was proudly 10th) and I'm not sure if the 11th finished or not. So, in other words, I was nearly last. Is being last horrible? It defies success to finish last. It's not how I was brought up or ever taught in school (just to clarify, by my senior year I did do well in track - but never cross country). But is it bad to be last?

Just think! Though I did nothing to deserve it, and though I am the least deserving Christian there is, I was chosen for this special joy of telling [others] about the endless treasures available to them in Christ. Ephesians 3:8 (NLT)

That's what the Apostle Paul, an early advocate of Christianity, said about himself. God likes the least and last. He uses them for great purposes. My success means nothing ultimately, but God's work in me and through me means everything. Life is not about finishing first, it's about running the right race with the right power. Paul changed races in his life - he used to hate Christians; but then he became one. He never made much money, never wrote a book (though he did write a lot of letters), never was a celebrity. He was usually hated, and often a prisoner. Not a real successful life. But God chose Him to bring light to millions.