“Perseverance must finish its work so you may be mature and complete.” James 1:4 NIV
“A good start only becomes a great finish by navigating all the stuff in between.”
My thoughts today are about “finishing well.”
Make no mistake; perseverance is hard work. But it is hard work that pays big dividends. My Dad’s advice to me was “Don’t start anything you are not going to finish.” Now, there are times that you may begin something and for very good reasons be unable to finish the task – for lack of experience, wrong tools, inadequate time, miscalculation of the task, or minimal resources. However, never let a task be unfinished because you lacked purpose and resolve. People who succeed are usually people who just didn’t quit before they were done.
Perseverance includes these elements: trouble, testing, time, treasure, truth, and trust. Read James 1:2-7 NKJV. In a few short verses, James shares the Godly elements of perseverance.
(1) Trouble. “Count it all joy when you fall into various trials . . “ That kind of expresses graphically the unexpected nature of trouble. You don’t plan for them; you don’t necessarily cause them. Trouble and its trials just happen. There would be nothing to persevere if there were not some troubling circumstance; something you would avoid if you could, but you can’t.
(2) Testing. “. . knowing the testing of your faith produces patience.” There are good things that come out of testing. You learn important lessons about life, and you learn important things about yourself, and most importantly, you learn more about God. A great start only becomes a good finish by successfully navigating all the time and stuff in between.
(3) Time. “Let patience have its perfect work . .” Time is what both demands and develops patience. I would distinguish patience and perseverance this way: patience is expectation while waiting; perseverance is conviction of good to come.
(4) Treasure. “That you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” If you are patient and don’t panic, God uses such times to develop valuable things in your life: to strengthen character, deepen trust, further maturity and experience, and make you more than you were.
(5) Truth. “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God who gives to all freely.” God has truth for you to acquire – truth about your situation and truth about God. Wisdom is perspective, seeing things as they really are in a context more realistic than this limited moment; perspective is the vital key to perseverance. When you short circuit the process, you diminish your progress. Stay true to the truth.
(6) Trust. “Let him ask in faith, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.” Perseverance provides God the necessary time to grow your faith and build your trust. How you finish is directly related to your level of trust in God.
Will you trust God in your circumstance and commit the outcome into His hands? “I am sure that God, who began a good work within you, will continue His work until it is finally finished on that day when Christ Jesus comes back again . . trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not upon your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” Philippians 1:6 NLT/Proverbs 3:5-6 NKJV.
My prayer for you today is: be faithful in the process and pleased with your progress.