Fighting the Good Fight

Fighting the Good Fight

2 Timothy 4:7-8

            On Saturday, September 10, 2016, the Chippewas of Central Michigan University defeated the Oklahoma State Cowboys 30-27 on the final play of a memorable football game.  It was later determined that the officials had made an error by giving Central Michigan one more play than they should have had; thus the win.  Before the mistake was discovered, the Chippewas coach, John Bonamego, was asked about the upset.  He replied, “It’s only an upset for people who think it can’t happen.”  Brave words? 

            Surely no one would have expected that final score, especially on Oklahoma State’s home ground.  Comparing the two teams and the level of competition at which each played, the score should have been overwhelmingly in the Cowboys’ favor—but it didn’t happen that way.  Even excluding the extra play and its resulting score, for Central Michigan to stay close to what surely was (on paper, at least) a superior team must have been a shock to the Oklahoma State players, coaches and fans.  The Central Michigan win was an upset by any standards, but to be close enough at the end of the game for the upset to occur was an upset in itself.  Bonamego’s players had performed well enough throughout the game to be in a position, with one break, to win the game.  That was the true upset.  Looking at the game through that lens, Bonamego’s words were not so brave as they might have at first sounded.

            Upsets in sports usually happen for one of two reasons.  First, the team that should win plays badly.  Key players are injured or sick.  Coaches make serious mistakes in managing the game, or players make enough mistakes to change the outcome of the game.  Second, the team that should lose (the underdog) either plays above its normal ability (they do everything right), or the coaches have spotted some weakness in their opponent and developed a game plan to take advantage of it.  In the second case the underdog has outperformed the favorite, playing well enough to secure the win.

            Perhaps this is what Paul had in mind when he came to the end of the second letter to his young protégé Timothy.  In 4:6 he says, “For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come.”  Paul knew he was facing not only certain but imminent death.  He knew he was about to be granted his fondest wish:  to be in the eternal presence of his Lord and Savior.  What had begun many years before on the Damascus road was about to reach its conclusion.  Although Paul knew there was still work to be done, he knew that it would be up to Timothy and others to do it.  Paul was going home.

            Like Coach Bonamego and his players, Paul had prepared for this occasion.  Like them he knew he had done the best he could getting ready for the final quarter.  He was in the homestretch.  The finish line was in sight.  He was ready.

            “I have fought the good fight,” Paul says; “I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”  Paul’s “game plan” had been well-prepared.  He had listened to and followed his Leader’s instructions.  He knew that victory awaited him.

            Are we prepared to fight the good fight?  When we come to the end of our battle will we be able to say like Paul that we have run the race to the best of our ability?  Have we kept the faith?

            It takes a lot of faith to believe a coach when he tells his players they can win over a stronger opponent.  Central Michigan had that kind of faith, so they were prepared to win a game against a team that should have overwhelmed them.  Paul had that same kind of faith, a faith that enabled him to win over an opponent much stronger than he.  Do we have that kind of faith?