A couple of weeks ago I read this really funny blog post (found here Worst End of School Year Mom). It was really quite hilarious and so where I'm at these days.
I have grand intentions every time I start something new. Things like school years, diets, exercise regimes, organizational to-do lists, schedules, habits, blog posts, etc.
You name it and I'm pretty good at starting it- but finishing it, well, let's just say I'm not too good at that part.
For the past week and a bit (it's taken me a while to get this post written and up), I've had God gently nudging me with the scripture from Heb. 12:1-3: the whole thing about persevering right to the very end- putting my whole heart and soul into things until they're finished.
Unfortunately, I usually peter out after completing only 5 - 10% of something. The rare time that I actually finish something is quite the miracle. And to be happy with the quality of the work would be cause for a party (my attitude usually gets to the 'lets just get this finished already!' sort of thing)!
It shouldn't be that way.
So then, it begs the question, "Why is that?"
My gut reaction is to say, "I don't know, or I would have fixed this already!". However, that isn't helpful to anyone- which means I needed to think this through a bit more.
Going back to the passage in Hebrews, we read that Christ WILLINGLY came down and endured the cross because of what He KNEW to be the prize at the end.
He was in the perfect, sinless world of heaven, yet gave it up to come and live in our sinful world.
He had every comfort in heaven, yet traded it in for a stable and later a wandering ministry with no place to lay His head.
He had, for all time, been one with the Father, only to come down to earth for God the Father to turn His back on Jesus at His darkest moment- while hanging on a cross bearing the weight of our sins.
Yet He considered that nothing! A small and trivial thing to do compared to what was to come.
Christ had a single-minded focus- to do the will of His Father. You can disagree with me if you want, but I don't think that Christ even thought about the benefit He was going to get for doing it- it was all about bringing glory to His Father!
How far am I (are we) from that these days? How often do we endure shame and suffering, without grumbling and complaining- simply for the fact that it would bring God glory? I think most of us want to be out from under the 'hard stuff' as soon as possible- not keep going in it.
Now it would be easy to get discouraged about this- but I don't think we should.
As a home schooling mom, there are so many things that demand my attention each day and I can't escape that. Nor do I think that I should try to either since this is the place and circumstances that God has me in right now.
See, I think it all comes down to perspective. Having the faith to see things from God's perspective- not ours.
Matt. 18:3-5 talks about coming to Him as a little child. What does it mean to be as a little child? I think the biggest things are faith and trust- which goes well with the Heb. 12:1-3 passage I mentioned earlier (which comes after a LONG list of testimony from heroes of the faith).
Faith comes from hearing the word of God (Rom. 10:17), and without faith we can't please God (Heb. 11:6). Why is that? Because if God tells us something and we don't believe or trust him to carry it out, we call God a liar (Jer. 32:17/I Cor. 15:57).
So how does this relate to perspective and finishing well?
I believe if we come to our Father, as Jesus did, on a regular basis, He will give us our agenda for the day- 'interruptions and chaos' included. I believe He won't leave us hanging, either. When we check in with Him we tap into the same strength and resolve that Christ received to let go of the seen to embrace the unseen (Heb. 11:1).
As we do that, all the things that we can so easily get caught up and entangled with can be seen for what they really are in our lives- balls and chains that drag us down.
Things like toxic friendships, habits or hobbies.
Trying to achieve a life of perfection (perfect home, perfect body, perfect husband or children, etc.).
Volunteering for things that we aren't supposed to do. Oh, ouch!
All I know is that the days where I live my agenda are days that I feel overwhelmed and as a result I don't get really important things done because I'm so busy doing unimportant things (like wasting time on Facebook or surfing the 'net).
Unimportant things are things that have no lasting, eternal value.
But before you think I've got this figured out and get all down on yourself- I'm writing this post for me first and foremost (mainly because at this point, I don't even know if anyone has even read this blog yet). I'm putting this down for me to figure out how I'm supposed to live my life with that single-mindedness that Christ had.
I keep adding things to my plate- things I want to do, that really- when I think about them, have no eternal value and will just end up in some landfill somewhere. And doing that just makes me feel overwhelmed and irritable when things (or people) get in the way of me being able to do those things.
Maybe that's why I peter out so fast sometimes- it's because some of those things aren't things I'm supposed to do in the first place.
So, if I stopped doing all those things, I would have the energy, focus, drive and determination to do what I AM supposed to be doing. Things that really matter.
Things like going and making disciples (Matt. 28:19)- first of my children and then of those in my circle of influence, or laying the hands on the sick that they would be healed (Mk: 16:17-10) or just running the race to get to His open arms and hear 'well done, good and faithful servant' (Matt. 25:21)!
As am obedient to follow God's directives each day, I would be seeing how God was working in and through me in all these amazing ways, and it would motivate me to want more of that- more of Him, in order to do more. Excitement breeds excitement.
Let us all seek this day to throw off everything that hinders us from going after God and put away all the things that entangle us in sin and keep us from running His race- the race to bring Him glory, just as Christ did.
Keeping it real, by the grace of God...
Tammy
I have grand intentions every time I start something new. Things like school years, diets, exercise regimes, organizational to-do lists, schedules, habits, blog posts, etc.
You name it and I'm pretty good at starting it- but finishing it, well, let's just say I'm not too good at that part.
 |
| Elijah doing his first potato sack race at their school's sports day- he ended up wiping out and not finishing well. |
 |
| Trying not to come in last. |
For the past week and a bit (it's taken me a while to get this post written and up), I've had God gently nudging me with the scripture from Heb. 12:1-3: the whole thing about persevering right to the very end- putting my whole heart and soul into things until they're finished.
Unfortunately, I usually peter out after completing only 5 - 10% of something. The rare time that I actually finish something is quite the miracle. And to be happy with the quality of the work would be cause for a party (my attitude usually gets to the 'lets just get this finished already!' sort of thing)!
It shouldn't be that way.
So then, it begs the question, "Why is that?"
My gut reaction is to say, "I don't know, or I would have fixed this already!". However, that isn't helpful to anyone- which means I needed to think this through a bit more.
Going back to the passage in Hebrews, we read that Christ WILLINGLY came down and endured the cross because of what He KNEW to be the prize at the end.
He was in the perfect, sinless world of heaven, yet gave it up to come and live in our sinful world.
He had every comfort in heaven, yet traded it in for a stable and later a wandering ministry with no place to lay His head.
He had, for all time, been one with the Father, only to come down to earth for God the Father to turn His back on Jesus at His darkest moment- while hanging on a cross bearing the weight of our sins.
Yet He considered that nothing! A small and trivial thing to do compared to what was to come.
Christ had a single-minded focus- to do the will of His Father. You can disagree with me if you want, but I don't think that Christ even thought about the benefit He was going to get for doing it- it was all about bringing glory to His Father!
How far am I (are we) from that these days? How often do we endure shame and suffering, without grumbling and complaining- simply for the fact that it would bring God glory? I think most of us want to be out from under the 'hard stuff' as soon as possible- not keep going in it.
Now it would be easy to get discouraged about this- but I don't think we should.
As a home schooling mom, there are so many things that demand my attention each day and I can't escape that. Nor do I think that I should try to either since this is the place and circumstances that God has me in right now.
See, I think it all comes down to perspective. Having the faith to see things from God's perspective- not ours.
Matt. 18:3-5 talks about coming to Him as a little child. What does it mean to be as a little child? I think the biggest things are faith and trust- which goes well with the Heb. 12:1-3 passage I mentioned earlier (which comes after a LONG list of testimony from heroes of the faith).
Faith comes from hearing the word of God (Rom. 10:17), and without faith we can't please God (Heb. 11:6). Why is that? Because if God tells us something and we don't believe or trust him to carry it out, we call God a liar (Jer. 32:17/I Cor. 15:57).
So how does this relate to perspective and finishing well?
I believe if we come to our Father, as Jesus did, on a regular basis, He will give us our agenda for the day- 'interruptions and chaos' included. I believe He won't leave us hanging, either. When we check in with Him we tap into the same strength and resolve that Christ received to let go of the seen to embrace the unseen (Heb. 11:1).
As we do that, all the things that we can so easily get caught up and entangled with can be seen for what they really are in our lives- balls and chains that drag us down.
 |
| Jeremiah spent the entire race checking out where everyone else was, and was so distracted that he nearly came in last! |
Things like toxic friendships, habits or hobbies.
Trying to achieve a life of perfection (perfect home, perfect body, perfect husband or children, etc.).
Volunteering for things that we aren't supposed to do. Oh, ouch!
All I know is that the days where I live my agenda are days that I feel overwhelmed and as a result I don't get really important things done because I'm so busy doing unimportant things (like wasting time on Facebook or surfing the 'net).
Unimportant things are things that have no lasting, eternal value.
But before you think I've got this figured out and get all down on yourself- I'm writing this post for me first and foremost (mainly because at this point, I don't even know if anyone has even read this blog yet). I'm putting this down for me to figure out how I'm supposed to live my life with that single-mindedness that Christ had.
I keep adding things to my plate- things I want to do, that really- when I think about them, have no eternal value and will just end up in some landfill somewhere. And doing that just makes me feel overwhelmed and irritable when things (or people) get in the way of me being able to do those things.
Maybe that's why I peter out so fast sometimes- it's because some of those things aren't things I'm supposed to do in the first place.
So, if I stopped doing all those things, I would have the energy, focus, drive and determination to do what I AM supposed to be doing. Things that really matter.
Things like going and making disciples (Matt. 28:19)- first of my children and then of those in my circle of influence, or laying the hands on the sick that they would be healed (Mk: 16:17-10) or just running the race to get to His open arms and hear 'well done, good and faithful servant' (Matt. 25:21)!
As am obedient to follow God's directives each day, I would be seeing how God was working in and through me in all these amazing ways, and it would motivate me to want more of that- more of Him, in order to do more. Excitement breeds excitement.
Let us all seek this day to throw off everything that hinders us from going after God and put away all the things that entangle us in sin and keep us from running His race- the race to bring Him glory, just as Christ did.
 |
| Noah- enjoying his first sports day! |
 |
| Running his little heart out! |
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| And excited about how great he ran the race- not caring that he didn't come in first! |
Keeping it real, by the grace of God...
Tammy
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