Friday, July 25, 2008

Finishing is Better Than Starting

You know sometimes I am really good at starting something, but not very good at finishing it. You probably know what I mean. I have tons of unfinished projects in my life. It's easy to get excited about something and get going on it, but it's a little tougher to maintain that passion and energy when it gets a little hard or I get a little tired. The Bible tells us in Ecclesiastes 7:8 "Finishing is better than starting..." There are tons of men and women in the Bible who started strong, but it's hard to find many who really finished their lives and ministry stronger than they started. I was reading today about King Asa in 2 Chronicles 15 and 16. In chapter 15, he started out really strong. In verse 17 it says "the heart of King Asa was perfect before God." He got rid of all the idols in the land, and lived a righteous life, and God brought peace to Israel. But the very next chapter, King Asa begins to trust more in people and things than in God, and he turned away from God even until the end of his life. What happened to this guy, I think its the same thing that happens to alot of people. It's easy to get started, but it is tough to finish. There are so many distractions, and obligations, and other things that get our eyes off the finish line, that sometimes we just drop out of the race. I want to live my life in such a way that I have finished the race stronger than I started. That's when it really matters in the first place. I want to live my life so that at the end I can say as Paul said "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."

2 comments:

Rhettro said...

This is an awesome blog that I think speaks to SO many people. I am SO bad about starting things and not finishing them(ask my wife). It is something that I'm working on. I think that in the midst of what we are doing we forget how it is going to feel when we are finished. There is a since of accomplishment that comes with finishing strong. This was a good blog, I needed this today.

Pump Dude said...

Tell me about it. I still haven't finished the wood flooring underneath our washer and dryer!! I'm actually just taking an extended, um, break.
I think it's important to note that our Christian walk also requires rest from time to time. However, we must be careful not to become spiritual couch potatoes (I speak from painful experience). I want to hear "Well done good & faithful servant" when I leave this place but it's going to require continuous good work and faithful service on my behalf in order hear it.
Thanks for the encouragement, Padre!