Week Three - Finishing Well

Finishing well might seem an inappropriate topic for this early in the New Year, but to finish well, you must begin well. 

A few years ago, my daughter recommended a book that has completely transformed how I go about life. The book is The 12 Week Year by Brian Moran. His basic premise is to divide your year into quarters and plan goals and projects accordingly. You accomplish more, projects move forward at a more consistent pace, and you can better judge your progress. Even today, I look at my list of things to accomplish in the first quarter of this year, and it motivates me.

But last fall, I was given Bob Buford's book Finishing Well. I had read his book Halftime a couple of years ago and drew much from it. I have to say, Finishing Well is helping me think forward with greater certainty and enthusiasm. Buford states, "Finishing well is a continuous process of becoming a better vessel for God's purpose."

I don't know about you, but I like to finish things well. I don't like to leave things undone or hanging. Life has a purpose, and I want to fulfill it.

He says, "My advice is to make sure you die in battle. It's good to know what your desired outcomes and objectives are, but you never know what's going to happen in your life. The key is to live intentionally, with passion, for a cause that's worthy of your life. And then die bloody. I plan to go down swinging. I want to die in battle."

I'm not sure I want to die in a battle, but I certainly don't want to die without having fulfilled God's will for my life. I want to serve and be counted faithful to the end. 

So to finish well, I must remain focused on the task at hand. That task, and the ones associated with it, will change over the years. I'm no longer a mother with small children, I no longer have teenagers in the house, and I'm not even a pastor's wife anymore. Things have changed, but my purpose - to fulfill God's will in my life and live for His glory - has not changed. It is the overriding priority of every desire and all of my service.

I'm challenged this year to look for God's will. I know I am where God wants me to be, and He is keeping plenty of work and challenges before me. I'm finding great peace and comfort in the words He gave me to govern this year - Just Be Thankful. But that doesn't mean sitting on my laurels. If I want to finish well, I must remain active in following, consistent in obeying, and hopeful in believing. God's purpose in my life is His glory, and that will only be seen as He is seen in my life. 

We can make all the plans we want. We can lay them out in a beautiful plan on a meticulous spreadsheet, but it is God who directs our steps. And those steps must be taken. So if you want to finish 2026 well, then start out with the goal of walking with Him, pleasing Him, and seeking His will above all else. Then, do your part in obedience and faith. 

To finish well, you must start well. How's your January going?