FINISH STRONG
As our world experiences
the closing moments of 2014, we corporately embrace and enact a meaningful
metaphor for this wondrous journey called LIFE. In the wise words of King Solomon, “Better is
THE END OF A THING than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better
than the proud in spirit.” (Ecclesiastes 7:8) This sage axiom is mission critical to
achieving positive results as we trek through the unknown territory of
2015. Finishing strong, i.e. succeeding
in every arena of life, requires VISION, PATIENCE and PERSPECTIVE.
According to Dictionary.com,
VISION is defined as “a vivid imaginative conception” (or) “the act or power of
anticipating that which will or may come to be.” To be sure, what we SEE is a determining
factor of what we will BE and, by extension, what we will DO. Solomon declared, “Where there is no vision,
the people perish.” (Proverbs 29:18) As
we navigate through 2015 with the help and direction of the Lord, extraordinary
vision will be required. That is, we must
look beyond any unexpected situations, temporary circumstances, or occasional
barriers in this coming year in order to visualize and actualize our
God-ordained purpose and destiny.
Dictionary.com tells us that PATIENCE is the “ability or willingness to suppress
restlessness or annoyance when confronted with delay” (or) “the bearing of
provocation, misfortune, or pain, without complaint” (or) “quiet, steady
perseverance.” Key Questions: Which
mountains are you now positioned to scale? What barriers are you prepared to handle? What delays are you determined to ignore…in
order to achieve your life-dream?
Finishing strong in every
God-given task necessitates PERSPECTIVE, which according to Dictionary.com is “a visible scene extending to a distance” (0r) “the state of
one’s ideas, the facts known to one in meaningful relationship.” Therefore, perspective is the first cousin of
vision. It sees the future, but does so
in a very practical and proactive manner. That is, perspective allows us to objectively visualize
the key connections between our past, present and future. When the Apostle Paul spoke of “forgetting
those things which are behind,” he did so in the context of a personal
recognition that 1) “I count not myself to have apprehended,” 2) I am “reaching
forth unto those things which are before,” and 3) “I press toward the mark for
the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:12-14)
Remember this. Past is prologue to present. As such, your past is not your enemy; neither is
your present, no matter what either one looks like or feels like to you. Both offer significant insights that will
ultimately birth and develop the vision, preparation and realization of your
future.
When God created us, He
foreordained our future out of a clear foreknowledge of our character and
calling. That is to say, God ended us in the same moment that He started us. As such, we believers are elected “according
to the foreknowledge of God.” (I Peter 1:2) Therefore, we can be “confident of this very
thing, that he who has begun a good work in [us] will perform it until the day
of Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 1:6) There
can be no doubt. There IS no doubt. We will
finish strong!
How so? How can we be filled with faith and confidence
about FINISHING STRONG – today and always – especially in the presence of
challenging problems and setbacks? In a
word, we must capture and cling to these indispensable prerequisites: Covenant Faith. Unshakable Focus. Unceasing Prayer. Word Knowledge. Eagle-Eye Vision. Enduring Patience. Spiritual Perspective. Life Consistency. And, don’t forget this one…Tenacity.
You can do it! You
WILL do it! In the coming year,
my intercessory prayer is that your life, your health, your family, your
ministry, your career and every single person that you touch will be highly
favored and immeasurably blessed!
Sisters and brothers, be
continually blessed, and please (above all else) MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY TO
MEET OUR SOON COMING KING. Maranatha!
