James 1:12 MSG“Anyone who meets a testing challenge head-on and manages to stick it out is mighty fortunate. For such persons loyally in love with God, the reward is life and more life.”
If there’s one thing we should want to be known for, it’s being a finisher. If we are on fire, then when the heat is on, it doesn’t cause us to quit. When the heat comes, the hot only get hotter. So many people start strong, but never finish. Here is a question for you…if we don’t finish, does it even matter that we started? When the problems come, we must stay focused on the promise. The joy of the Lord is our strength. Joy is not a feeling, it’s a focus. Remember that perspective shift we received on day 2 of our fast? Go back and refresh yourself on that today. James says here that the distinguishing attribute of a finisher, is that they are loyally in love with God. Webster’s defines loyal as unswerving in allegiance. When our love for the Lord isn’t swayed by seasons, situations, circumstance, or conditions…that’s a loyal love and it causes us to stay the course. Paul had a loyal love. To be able to say “I have fought the good fight, I have kept the faith and I have finished my course”, that’s what we are after here. And our reward? Life and MORE LIFE!
Consecration: Quitting before you finish
Today, we are consecrating quitting ANYTHING before we finish. Listen, focus on the finish today. Be like Paul…even in the smallest tasks, tests, or trial that may come. You know all that multi-tasking we do? Sometimes I think it breeds distraction in our lives. We take “pride” in being able to do 50 things at the same time…but do you ever find yourself forgetting what it is you actually set out to do? That’s distraction. Today, stay the course with laser focus. Do one thing at a time. Start something and then finish it. And then congratulate yourself. Then, and only then move on to the next task at hand. Developing a habit of finishing, even in the small stuff, and you will soon develop a history of being a finisher.
