“perseverance must finish it's work”
I've always been a better starter than a finisher. I was the lead leg on the relay team in track, would rather work hard on Mondays than Fridays and have much better intro's than conclusions in my sermons. I'm not a procrastinator. I'm quick to plan and get started on, projects. My motto in life is “panic early” so you don't have to scramble at the last minute. It's how I grew up. It's what I'm comfortable with. It's how I operate.
In many ways, this has served me well. However, as always, there is another side to the coin. If I don't get adequate time to prepare, I can get flustered under pressure. I also can get very discouraged by setbacks. Additionally, I can be inflexible when things aren't going according to plan. When under a high level of stress, if given an out, I've often taken it.
I've worked hard at overcoming some of these deficiencies. I also married my polar opposite, so we take turns kicking each other in the rear at the beginnings and endings of things- though I admit, she always outlasts me :-)...
You may be wondering, “where is he going with this...?” Actually, I'm not sure. I just know that I'm feeling the burn of a long, rainy spring, with a calendar as stuffed as a thanksgiving turkey-- and the summer is still a long ways off. There are still a plethora of ballgames and events and outings … and I'm finding myself looking so forward to the next season that I've forgotten this one is only half through.
I know I'm not in a unique position, for our country is plagued with a scheduling crisis of which Christians are far from immune. Even when we try to eliminate the unnecessary things of life, there are still too many good things left to be managed. It can feel quite suffocating, at times. Yet even as I write the words, I feel the guilt that I have so much more than most of the rest of the world, yet I still find the space to complain--- shame on me...
I love that my Jesus has the longsuffering to listen to me, and at the same time, the resolve to challenge me with His Word. I will never leave you nor forsake you... God is faithful He will not give you more than you can bear... do not grow weary in doing good, for you will reap a harvest if you do not give up... consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful man so you do not grow weary and lose heart... perseverance must finish it's work.
As the Holy Spirit brings this sharp, double edged, sword into my mind regularly, I realize that this life is about preparing FOR the future, but also living IN the moment God has blessed me with. Day by day, hour by hour, Life is about “capturing every thought and making it obedient to Christ.” Don't get me wrong, it is important to evaluate life, prioritize and say NO to a lot of good things. However, the bottom line is that life will be challenging (even with perfectly balanced plans). And our opportunity, every day, is to offer the Lord a sacrifice of praise- all the time- and to choose joy, especially when we want to be cranky. Strength comes as we give Him our wholehearted service when we're tired. And our longings need not to be for the next seasons of life as much as they ought to be for the chance to give an answer to anyone who asks us about the hope that we have. This Living Hope (that does not disappoint us) will sustain us through the long seasons and see that we finish strong! I don't know about you, but I needed to be reminded of that :-)