At this time of the year some of us are dragging our feet along. We are in desperate need for a push from behind, but then again, that push may just end in a face plant. I was pouring a cup of coffee the other day, but without checking the kettle, there was just enough boiling water for half a cup - half a cup of very strong coffee. I felt cheated. When only half of a job is done, it is as good as nothing. You need more. You have an empty feeling. And I am not talking about ‘do you see the cup half full, or half empty?’
‘Unfinished business’ exists within any individual, due to unexpressed feelings and thoughts, when some issues relating to a certain incident in the past remains unresolved. There is a lack of closure. It feels as if someone hit the ‘pause’ button, and you want to press ‘play’ to see how the story will end. We all have some unfinished business – someone leaving without a proper goodbye, childhood trauma, walking out of a relationship, etc. Unfinished business need to be completed in order to achieve satisfaction and peace. The greatest example of finding peace - literally – is Jesus on the cross when He said “Tetelestai”, meaning ‘It is finished.’
2 Timothy 4:7 “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith;”
Finishing strong is a PROCESS. There are times in your life when you will have to set goals. These are moments to decide how you will push through to finish strong. Will you give up or give it all that it takes? It may sometimes sound impossible when you hear the phrase “finish strong.” We have a natural tendency to settle for the status quo or to accept fate, so when you face the temptation to quit or compromise your standards, keep going. Go even harder.
When I look at my two sons, I have discovered that it is the weight they lift (that burden we carry) that helps them to grow and to get stronger. I cannot take any credit for any of their successes, but they have many examples from family and mentors showing them that they may fail or fall, but they should never quit. This is an important legacy and often under-appreciated. The money you inherit may seem as a gift to you, but the true gift is the values that were built inside of us through trials and triumphs.
“Every child gets an inheritance, but too few will ever receive what it took to gain it.” – Andrew Martin
Too often we skip over the first chapter of Matthew - the genealogy of Jesus. Hidden within this chapter is a Legacy that propelled the next generation farther than they could have ever gone by themselves!
2 Chronicles 15:7 “But you, be strong and do not lose courage, for there is reward for your work.”
There are ways to finish strong when your momentum is low:
Write your goals down - Don’t forget, your goals have to be SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-bound.
Break your goals into milestones - Breaking down goals into small bites will help you celebrate your small victories.
Build momentum - You need momentum to finish strong. You can gain momentum when you meet each of the milestones.
Do not bow to negative pressure to give up – rely on positive affirmations. If you don’t get it from others, give it to yourself. You owe it to yourself.
Find a mentor or an accountability partner - you need all the support you can find to stay the course.
Philippians 3:14 “I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”
There is growth in every moment, even in those moments when you feel alone and the task at hand seems impossible. Lessons where we can learn that last moments count:
Most of the points scored in football occur a few minutes before the game ends.
The last seconds in a race determines who wins as every runner wants to give the most effort.
You work harder when there are deadlines to meet.
Many of us make New Year’s Resolutions, just to break those commitments within a week or two. Instead we should make New Year’s Goals. Going to your nearest gym, will confirm our tendency to quit. During the first week of January, gyms are packed. All of the treadmills are in use, people are lining up for a turn on the exercise equipment, and it’s hard even to find a parking space. Yet, by about the third week of January, you can park in the space next the front door and exercise on any machine you prefer. What happens during these 3 weeks?
Character, sacrifice, tenacity - these qualities are ingredients for all of us who wishes to finish strong. As we are almost halfway in the final month of the calendar year, I encourage you to make the most of the remaining days in 2022. Live in December so that you’ll end this year on a high note and cruise into the New Year with positive momentum.
CHARACTER - Emotion might drive us to make a decision, but character, or discipline, is what keeps us going when the journey gets hard.
SACRIFICE - Being a finisher requires recurring installments of sacrifice, not a one-time payment. Sacrifice is a winner’s constant companion. If you desire to finish strong, you will need to sacrifice earlier than expected and to give up more than is comfortable.
TENACITY - Tenacity means quitting only when the job is done, not when you’re tired. Only a select few push on, refusing to stop until they’ve taken hold of their dreams.
The Word is packed with more Scripture telling us to finish well. I share a few more:
Ecclesiastes 7:8 “The end of a matter is better than its beginning; Patience of spirit is better than haughtiness of spirit.”
Acts 20:24 “But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God.”
1 Corinthians 9:24 “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win.”
Always remember, you have all it takes to finish what you started. It is not enough to be an enthusiastic starter; you must also be an optimistic finisher.
Revelation 21:6 - “Then He said to me, “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.”
Ultimately, God is building a Legacy in you that He does not intend for you to wait until you die to leave. Legacy is NOW. Life is too short to wait until tomorrow. Finishing Strong starts today!
“I realized the secret to success is finishing! And not just finishing, but finishing strong!”— Eric Thomas
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