Starting is Good, Finishing is Key

It’s one thing to start something. It’s very different to finish. Finishing is harder – much harder. But finishing is key. Anyone can start something.

Finishing

2 Corinthians 8:11-12 New International Version (NIV)

11 Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means. 12 For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have.

It reminds me of the Seinfeld scene where he explains “Anyone can take a reservation.” but it’s the holding a reservation that matters.

 

Or in Luke 14:

28 “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? 29 For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, 30 saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’

What good is it if you start something but never had a chance of finishing because you weren’t prepared?

And what makes it real – what makes it scary – is the context in which Jesus is speaking above. He’s talking about being His disciple…

26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. 27 And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.

The idea is, you need to know what it costs and be ready and willing to follow through. Notice it doesn’t say “you won’t be a good disciple” – you cannot be one.

It would be better not to start something then to drop the ball and give up. Certainly there are times when the situation changes or similar and you have to stop. But you know the difference between that and just dropping the ball.

It’s very impressive to other when you say you’re going to do something. God isn’t impressed. He’s more impressed w/ the widow privately giving the 2 pennies than the big-talker.

Live to please Him… and know that it’s really only in Him that you can do anything anyway.