by Melissa Sharp
“Immediately he (Saul) preached the Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God. Then all who heard were amazed, and said, “Is this not he who destroyed those who called on this name in Jerusalem, and has come here for that purpose, so that he might bring them bound to the chief priests?” But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who dwelt in Damascus, proving that this Jesus is the Christ.” Acts 9:20–22
In distance running, there’s a strategy known as the negative split—running the second half of a race faster than the first. It takes discipline, endurance, and the willingness to finish strong even when fatigue sets in. That’s exactly what Dot McMahan, a 48-year-old professional runner from Rochester Hills, accomplished when she won the women’s division of the Crim Festival of Races 10-mile run. Despite the course becoming harder in the second half, McMahan said, “I always try to run the second half faster than the first… That’s always my big goal—no matter what kind of shape I’m in, I just know I try to conquer the course.”
That’s not just great running advice—it’s great spiritual advice.
This approach, where a runner conquers a tougher back half with greater speed, mirrors the spiritual journey of the Apostle Paul. His life, transformed by Jesus, shows us that no matter how poorly we start—if we want it—God will empower us to finish well.
Some of us didn’t start our race of life well. Maybe we ran hard in the wrong direction—chasing approval, pleasure, money, or power. Maybe, like Paul, we even fought against the very truth God was trying to reveal. But the good news is that God is in the business of writing people’s stories—when we live surrendered to Him.
When Saul met Jesus on the road to Damascus, everything changed when he surrendered to Christ. The man who once persecuted Christians became their greatest preacher. His transformation was so complete that those who heard him “were amazed.” The destroyer became a disciple-maker. Saul had begun a new race—and he ran his second half far better than his first—despite the fact that the obstacles were much greater!
Paul’s transformation from Saul, a zealous persecutor of Christians, to the Apostle Paul, a tireless preacher of the Gospel, made the second half of his life far more grueling than the first. We have no record of any hardship from his early life. But after his salvation, Paul’s mission to spread the Gospel invited relentless persecution. He endured beatings, floggings, and stonings (2 Corinthians 11:25) and was left for dead in Lystra. (Acts 14:19) Imprisoned multiple times, shipwrecked, starved, and betrayed, Paul faced constant threats from Jews, Gentiles, and false brethren. (2 Corinthians 11:23-27) His second half, though spiritually triumphant, was a brutal race of endurance, proving his “negative split” required immense surrendered sacrifice to finish strong for Christ.
Yet the Bible records that “Saul increased all the more in strength.” (Acts 9:22) Spiritually, that’s the essence of a negative split—doing God’s will means we gain HIS strength as we go—even as the path grows tougher. Because it will!
You may have stumbled, drifted, or even fallen completely off course, but God hasn’t finished your story. If there’s still breath in your lungs, there’s still time to run your negative split. What matters most isn’t how you began—it’s how you finish. Like Paul, at the end of life (which may be today) you can say:
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” 2 Timothy 4:7
Prayer
Father, thank You for being the God of second chances and strong finishes. Teach me to run the race You’ve set before me with endurance and faith. Keep me surrendered. When I grow weary, strengthen me to keep going. When I stumble, lift me up by Your grace. Help me to finish stronger than I began—so that, like Paul, I may one day say, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Happy Running!
Melissa Sharp is an ultra runner and running coach who has completed more than 100 marathons and ultra marathons. Melissa has learned how to keep running the race of life for the glory of Christ even though she endured decades of domestic abuse. Melissa is a survivor. Through her daily blog thejoyfilledrunner she inspires others to live in the strength of Christ.
