Finishing Well

All the accolades one might have received, congratulations on a job well done, successes galore, fastest running speed, hope of crossing the finish line with a vision of the checkered flag finale, are completely ruined if one doesn’t finish well.  It doesn’t matter how well a race you were running if you didn’t finish.  No kudos for those who start well and finish poorly.

How many of us have ever had a contractor work on our home, or a financial planner, landscaper or lawyer, or anyone else who started well but finished poorly, if at all?

God hates that when it comes to faith.  So, He tells us not to harden our hearts.  Today.  Because Lord willing, every today leads to a tomorrow and to our need to finish well.  As Scripture says,

Hebrews 3: 14 We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end.  15 As has just been said: “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion.”  16 Who were they who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt?  17 And with whom was he angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies perished in the wilderness?  18 And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest if not to those who disobeyed? 19 So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief.

Quitter’s Field has a full infield and outfield.  Its bleachers and box seats are full.  It’s season ticket holders never finish anything but quit when the going gets tough.  Don’t go there.  Stay in the game. 

In praying about why not to quit, I discovered the second Friday in January is called “Quitters Day” as people in droves give up on New Year resolutions by that point.  This year, they couldn’t last more than 2 weeks.  That’s because they didn’t get theirs from the Book of Hebrews and have the Holy Spirit to intercede for them. 

Pay Careful Attention.  Fix Your Eyes on Jesus.  Don’t Harden Your Heart.  Don’t Give Up.  Finish Well.

Questions for today:

In Revelation 2 and 3, there are letters to seven churches.  The idea of being victorious is spoken to all seven.  They’re inspired to finish well.  Be victorious.  Why might Jesus have said it to all seven churches?

How are you doing on following Christ? Do you know victory in Jesus? 

Are you persevering by faith all the way to being victorious or are you among the lackluster quitters headed full speed to Quitter’s Field?  It’s not too late to regroup, dust yourself off, and get back in the race. Finish well!