Will You Finish Strong? | What’s your Priority? Part 4
We’ve previously determined that 1) yesterday ended at midnight and is in the rear-view mirror, 2) we are now focused on our #1 priority, and 3) we are working from and focused on our gifts.
“Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!” Matthew 25:23 NLT
Now that we have a renewed focus, we should always endeavor to finish strong. As it is with our Lord it is not well thought of, well planned, a great idea, or well started. It is well done! There will always be times of crisis and challenge in life as in business. I will never forget 2008, when we had $27,000,000 in work canceled in 45 days. It is easy to operate a business when everything is running smoothly. Abraham Lincoln said, “A tree is best measured when it is down.” Stop and break down your obstacles, list from biggest to smallest, and attack the biggest first. Be encouraged to see the value of finishing strong; you will get through your challenging seasons.
Our business has a significant amount of planning, scheduling, and long lead-time products from around the world. It is easy to start, but we learned decades ago that the bookends of success are starting and finishing.
It has been said that fifty percent of the people around you don’t know where they are going. Forty percent will go in any direction they are led. The remaining ten percent know where they would like to go, but fewer than half are willing to pay the price. How do we reach the finish line and hear “well done”? By finishing strong.
If you are stuck and not making progress on your priority – keep going. You may think you are wasting time, possibly failing at something again but never give up. Even though you are not seeing results externally, you are growing and learning in the process. Paul J Meyer said that 90% of all failures come when we quit too soon. One of my favorite quotes from Thomas Edison is “Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.”
Now that we are focusing, this may be an excellent time to hit the pause button. In the parable of the talents, the master gave his servants responsibilities according to their abilities. The talents in the parable are money/finances. God has given us other gifts as well. What is Jesus communicating? Will we be faithful with whatever the Lord has given us? I believe that God is not going to ask how much we have done for Him but how faithful we have been with what He gave us.
As we move forward together, it seems we should have the perspective that Christ gave. Jesus is the Son of God and could have done anything. He knew that sometimes what should not be done was the most important thing. He said to shake the dust from your feet and keep moving if people resisted his ideas; not to cast your pearls upon the swine. Will part of the successful completion of our “priority” be what we stop doing?
Seeking to live in His reflection,
Jerry
