Starting a new project is relatively easy. What is difficult is to finish it. Even more. The ultimate challenge is to finish our project with grace and brilliance. To achieve this, the Bible is the reference tool par excellence!
Graduation parties are always highly anticipated. After all, there was a lot of effort to get those results. Some students even finish with high honors, having managed to exceed the requirements. But not all students take part in these festivities. Some have given up along the way, for all sorts of reasons. They had all started at the same level, but some may have lacked persistence or lost interest in their degree.
A bit like several kings in the Bible. Solomon, for example, had a terrific start, garnering great honor from God. He had His favor, enjoyed great wealth and peace. But his success was its downfall. “For when Solomon was old his wives turned away his heart after other gods, and his heart was not wholly true to the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father” (1 Kings 11:4 ESV). That was also the case of King Uzziah, who had started his reign very well and stood out for his ingenuity. “But when he was strong, he grew proud, to his destruction. For he was unfaithful to the Lord his God and entered the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense” (2 Chronicles 26:16 ESV). Instead of repenting, he choked on his pride and was stricken with leprosy, which even prevented him from being buried in the graveyard of kings.
Fortunately, other characters in the Bible were also showered with blessings and ended their lives with flying colors. “And the Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning” (Job 42:12a ESV). So what was the difference between kings who ended badly, and people like Job, who ended their lives very well? Job demonstrated great humility throughout his life. Prior to his trial, he regularly made sacrifices to ask forgiveness for his sins and those of his children. And even during his trial, he remained submitted to God. Humility is a quality that keeps us in God’s good graces. “Before destruction a man’s heart is haughty, but humility comes before honor” (Proverbs 18:12 ESV).
In addition to humility, Job also demonstrated great generosity. After all, these sacrifices were very expensive in those days, but when it came time to do God’s work, Job spared no expense. And he was always ready to help the poor, the unfortunate, the orphans. How to end our life with divine honors? By remaining in humility, in submission to God; and by being generous in our service to God and to those around us.
These principles are effective for our life in general, but they also apply very well when we want to be successful in all areas of our life. How many singles, tired of waiting for a partner of the same faith, begin to make compromises to no longer be alone. They had made commitments before God, and made the necessary sacrifices to obtain a marriage that was going to glorify God; but time passed, and they lost interest in their “diploma”. “You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth?” (Galatians 5:7 ESV). By remaining humble before God, crying out to Him in times of need; by remaining active in the Lord and being generous with those around us, we have the essential tools to finish our race with flying colors.
It won’t be easy, of course. Jesus speaks of a narrow way. But let’s keep our eyes on the reward and be persistent. “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9 ESV).