We start weight loss programs and quit when we don’t lose 10 pounds in a week. We quit home improvement projects when we “feel” like the projects are taking too long. We quit Bible reading plans when a scripture or passage confuses us. No one begins a project, task or assignment with the intentions of not finishing, but we often find ourselves not finishing what we started. It is imperative that we finish what we start because consistency matters in the life of the believer. We have to be people who do what we say we are going to do because we serve a God who always does what He says He is going to do. Here are three keys to finishing what you start:
1. Plan effectively. Often times we don't complete tasks because we don't have a plan. For example, if you decide to lose 20 pounds, you will need some sort of workout and meal plan. If you want to pay off your debt, you need a budget and savings plan. Jesus says in Luke 14:28 “what man before he builds a house does not first count the cost”. In other words, you must have a plan.
2. Stop allowing yourself to get distracted. We have to remove things that easily distract us from finishing what we start. Maybe you are on a journey to start saving money. If store emails distract you from reaching your goal, perhaps you need to unsubscribe from their email list for a season. Maybe you started writing a business plan or program proposal, but you can’t seem to find the focus to actually sit down, research and finish. Perhaps you should try to leave your phone in another room until you finish. Don’t allow distractions to keep you from finishing what you started.
3. Keep Pushing. We all have those moments when we are right in the middle of something and we want to throw in the towel. In these moments, we have to make the decision to quit or move forward. When you find yourself at this crossroad, I want you to consider the cost of quitting. There is someone that needs to hear your story. There is someone that needs your program, business or ministry. There is a future generation that needs to see what it looks like to be debt free. Your future self will thank you for finishing. As believers, we have to be people who finish what we start no matter how big or small the task may be. We have to do this because it speaks to our integrity as followers of Christ. Paul reminds us in Philippians 3:14, "to press toward the mark of the prize of the high calling in Christ Jesus". No matter what, you have to keep pushing.
I know you may be thinking “I’m tired and weary, how do I finish what I started”? The answer is; you lean and depend on the strength and wisdom of God. Jesus gives us the perfect example to follow. When he walked this earth, he knew he had an assignment to fulfill and he didn’t allow anyone or anything to stop him or distract him from finishing and fulfilling his assignment. Staying rooted in God allows us to finish what we start. Paul says in Philippians 1:6 that "we should be confident that He who begun a good work in us is well able to perform it until the day of Jesus Christ". In other words, God finishes what he starts! The question is; will you?
Verse of the Week:
I am sure of this, that He who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
Philippians 1:6 (HCSB)
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