How to Finish Strong

Pastor Ron Blake

http://wesleyshorse.blogspot.com


I have noticed what I thought would happen has happened. The gym where I go is always packed throughout January and most of Feb. Sometimes it has been hard to get in and out in a reasonable amount of time. Now things have gone back to normal, machines are open, the locker room at times deserted. What happened? All those New Year’s resolutions have become faint memories of commitments well intentioned and needed, that have been replaced with are normal habits and practices. This large flock of folks has retreated from their commitment. Most started well, they pushed through and decided I must change. But they have fallen back into the old familiar habits and routines.It is not enough to start strong, one must finish well. Here at First Church we started with a spiritual workout at the beginning of the year. Do you remember God’s gym? I thought so! I was talking with a friend the other day and somehow our conversation turned to the subject: ‘finishing strong’. We recounted people we have gone to school with, who are no longer in the ministry, we even know a few that have experienced other setbacks. What happened? One thing is for certain, if you want to finish strong, finish well, you have to be intentional. What must happen in order for us to finish well?To Finish Strong:1 We need Spiritual Stamina. We need to make spiritual workouts a part of our regular routine, not just periodically, but regular and often. One of the reasons we exercise our physical bodies to give us stamina, if we do nothing, we lose strength and our energy dissipates. The same is true in the spiritual realm as well.2 We need Spiritual Resilience. Life has its hard places. We all face tough times of testing. Disappointment will make house calls and often. Whatever you are facing today turn it over to the Lord!! Get into His Word, and give Him everything including your heartbreak and disappointment. Allow Him to use these things to make you stronger, better not bitter!3 We need Focused Faith. What you focus on is what you will become! If you focus on your hurts, you will become a miserable and bitter person. Focus on God, His love for you, His grace at work in your life. We need to hear what Paul says regarding this subject:Phil 3:13-14Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.Keep running and keep moving aheadWhat do you think? I would love to hear from you.blessings,Ron