FIT TO GO FORWARD?
How to Cross the Finish Line...
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The new year has begun, and many of us will do our customary thing: new year’s resolutions. Nothing wrong with them. Not really. It’s just that, well, they’re hard to keep.
Does this progression sound familiar?
“I’m so excited.”
“It’s going to be great.”
“I’m ready to get into it.”
“It’s best if I start tomorrow.”
“There’s a lot of work to do here.”
“It’s a bigger project than I thought.”
“I didn’t think I’d need to be quite so involved.”
“It’s harder/more time-consuming than I anticipated.”
“I may have taken on too much.”
“This is not what I expected.”
“I might finish it someday.”
“How many more weeks?”
“I can’t continue.”
The excitement of starting something new, the reality of the work involved, and the time, effort, and commitment to see the project through can be problematic.
Let’s face it, just like Christmas morning, we’re attracted to shiny new packaging. But have we fully assessed our ability to follow through?
According to a Psychology Today article, our loyalty wanes for several reasons (buckle up, this is going to get personal):
1. We haven’t yet recognized our under- or over-commitment issues. The attraction or desire to do something strikes and we’re all over it. It’s the motivation, the stick-to-it-ness, that we lack. Our excuses abound. But do we consider what and those we leave in our wake?
2. We leap before we look. The blush comes off the rose, so to speak, once we fully understand the scope of the project. Though statistics vary, could this be the reason 10-22% of marriages fail within the first one to five years? When the “lovin’ feeling” turns to work, do we opt out?
3. Know yourself. Evaluate the time you’ve already committed to other projects, things, people. Aside from the shiny allure and the benefits we can derive, will our schedule realistically accommodate one more activity? Have we set goals to complete our other in-process tasks? Where in that timeline does this new endeavor fit?
4. Motivation is a fickle friend. We can help ourselves by recognizing our propensity to “bite off more than we can chew.” In first grade, Mrs. Titus taught us this poem which adds purpose to motivation:
The above paragraphs shed wonderful light and provides excellent head knowledge. But what did Jesus, our example and source of all wisdom, say about unfinished projects?
“But Jesus said to him, ‘No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.’” (Luke 9:62, NKJV)
These sobering words apply to every area of a Christian’s life.
Think back to when you first accepted Jesus’ love and asked Him into your heart. The excitement of opening the Word each morning; the joy of taking in each sermon; the commitment to attend every Bible study; the love we had to interact with God’s people; the selfless acts of kindness to please the Lord and others.
The years have rolled by. Our passion may have faded. It’s goal-setting time. With a purposeful, devoted grip on the plow, let’s continue onward, working for the One who gave His all for us, confident:
… of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ… (Phil.1:6, NKJV)
I have been thinking about how important it is to finish well lately. Good post!
Thank you for these words of inspiration and motivation for a new year, Erma! May we all find the discernment and energy and perseverance to accomplish the tasks God lays out for us this year!