Finish What You Start

Finish What You Start

Glynnis Whitwer

I excel at starting projects. Especially those that include a trip to the office supply store, where I can stock up on new notebooks, file folders, and pens. Optimism abounds at the beginning of something new.

Then reality hits. What initially seemed fun quickly becomes hard work. Discouragement sets in. Perfectionist tendencies stifle my ability to move forward and it begins to seem easier to give up rather than finish what I started.

Part of my challenge is lack of focus. There’s so much I want to do that my thoughts are often scattered. I allow myself to be pulled in multiple directions, intrigued by the possibilities of a new and exciting project. Plus, sometimes I do things just because I can. This approach frequently leaves me with a to-do list that’s seriously undoable.

Finishing well requires discipline that doesn’t come naturally. But it’s key to living a manageable life that reflects God’s priorities for me. So while my shelves include books on time management and productivity, the best role model of finishing well is Jesus.

Jesus is the picture of focus and discipline, especially in the midst of many people demanding His attention. In the book of John we read a story about Jesus sitting by a well while His disciples went for food. As He waited, a solitary woman came to draw water and Jesus engaged her in a life-changing conversation—not only for her but for her entire village.

On this day, Jesus could have pleaded exhaustion or frustration. He’d been traveling, it was warm, and He was hungry. Just one of those challenges would have been enough to derail me. Instead, Jesus narrowed His focus to one woman and finished the assignment God gave Him for her.

After His disciples returned, they tried to get Jesus to eat. He responded: “My food … is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work” (John 4:34). Jesus knew what His Father had asked Him to do and was committed to do it. He models clarity of purpose, perseverance, and compassion—all characteristics I want.

If you feel like you are always starting things and never finishing, perhaps it would help to focus on only one or two things God is calling you to today. Don’t try to tackle everything at once. Ask God for His priorities and concentrate on doing your best in those areas.

Changing lifelong patterns of not finishing things takes time. I’ve learned that when I submit my overwhelmed feelings to God, He gives me strength to persevere.

Dear Lord, thank You for forgiving me when I fall short. Help me to be like Jesus, focused on Your will and work. Show me Your priorities for my life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

REMEMBER

Finishing well requires discipline.

REFLECT

Is there something you know God wants you to do, but you haven’t done it? What is it?

RESPOND

Identify one or two areas you believe God wants you to focus on. Ask God to help you align all areas of your life with His priorities for you.

POWER VERSES

Hebrews 10:35–36; James 1:2–4