Super glue was invented in 1942 and it’s success is widespread. One advertisement says, “it’s there to stay!” It’s a popular product because of it’s sticktoitiveness! When other glues won’t hold, Super glue comes to the rescue.
How much sticktoitveness do you and I have? When others around us quit, do we? It’s so easy to get started on something, but quite another thing to actually finish that something! I have purchased paint to re-do my dresser and it’s sitting in the can not yet touched. How many books have bookmarks standing at attention in the covers, because I started reading and then lost interest? Who has started a diet, then dropped it when a craving took over?
What about spiritual works we begin?
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Reading through the Bible in a year
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Memorizing a passage of Scripture
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Doing a Bible study with a group
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Attending a small group study
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Mentoring a younger woman
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Attending church services faithfully
Yeah, quitting is easy and it is common.
But look at our Savior.
Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.
John 4:34
He came to do and finish the work that His Father sent Him to do. It’s a blessing for us, because His finished work bought our salvation!
His finished work is also an example for us. Whatever He has called us to do, we need to finish because a finished work accomplishes that which God has willed. So, how can we make it easier to finish a work we start? Let me offer a few suggestions:
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Pray before committing to an obligation to seek God’s will. If He leads you to begin it, He will give strength to finish it.
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Align other priorities around that responsibility. If you’ve committed to attending a Thursday night study, don’t agree to babysit for a friend that night. If you’ve committed to attend Sunday school faithfully and your family has planned a reunion for Sunday, tell them you’ll be there after the morning service. Keep your priorities in line with what the Lord has led you to do.
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Keep your other activities to a minimum around the time of the real duties. For example, if you’re seeking to read through the Bible in a year and you’ve decided to read each morning, don’t also plan to meet a friend for coffee at 9:00. You’ll feel rushed and either not get to it at all, or won’t get anything out of your reading. If you’ve committed to attending a Bible study on Monday nights, don’t pack Monday full of errands and shopping that drain your energy. With the energy will go your desire to follow through. Be wise in planning.
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Ask someone to make you accountable. Knowing that you will give a report of your faithfulness to a friend will help you to stay faithful.
Quitting may be easy and common, but there are things we can do to follow our Savior’s example so that we, too, may be able to finish the work! Let’s be like super glue and have the tenacity to stick with it until we finish what we begin.
With love,
RefreshHer 