We hear it often. We hear it at the end of professional sports, we hear it at the end of careers, we hear it at the end of lives. It’s a mantra that is meant to encourage the false-starters and empower the slow-movers. It’s meant to be motivating call to positive change and the saying itself certainly lends itself to the accomplishments of many.
“It’s not how you begin but how you finish that matters.”
But the saying isn’t entirely true. It’s not proverbial or absolute in that there are no exceptions to the rule. The reality is, how you begin really does matter. Scripture is certainly filled with people who made mistakes and were still used by God, but more often than not it is the ones who established their identity in Christ early who were able to withstand the ebbs and flows of the Christian life. Maybe it’s not really how you begin life, but how you begin your life in Christ.
Many have started their lives with no connection to Christ. In fact, all of us have. This is the beauty of being “Born Again”. For some, this rebirth happens at age 6. For some it happens at age 60. It is the decisions we make AFTER the rebirth that truly matter. Really, finishing means nothing unless you actually begin. You can’t complete a race you never started. Our ‘beginning’ doesn’t start at birth. It starts at rebirth.
It’s never to late to begin again. But make every effort to make it the last time you need to do so. Begin strong and allow God to empower you to finish even stronger.
Comentários