FOCUS ON FINISHING WELL

John 17:1-19

Meditation verse:

“I brought glory to You here on earth by completing the work You gave Me to do” (John 17:4 NLT)

Whilst it is good to begin a project, true satisfaction, joy, and pride come from completing that which you started. The glory is in the finishing. No bible character exemplified the need to focus on finishing as well as the joy of finishing than our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Whilst on earth, He focused on the assignment given to Him by His Father. So, He said things like: “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work” (John 4:34). “I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work” (John 9:4). “I have food to eat of which you do not know” (John 4:3234). And on finishing, He said, “I brought glory to You here on earth by completing the work You gave Me to do” (John 17:4 NLT).

Paul the Apostle also lived this truth. He said: “For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Phil 1:21). “For if I preach not the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel” (1 Corinth 9:16). “I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus (Phil 3:14). And on finishing He said “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing (2 Tim 4:78). Both shaped the history of Christianity in very profound ways.

The bible puts it aptly by stating that: “the end of a thing is better than its beginning” (Eccl 7:8). Without focusing on the goal, you may not get there. See how an athlete on a race keeps his eyes fixed on the finished line. He refuses to be distracted by those running beside him. Keep your eyes on the task at hand. Refuse to be distracted by exigencies or distractions of the times. We are living in very difficult and unprecedented times, but you must keep pressing towards the mark. Then when all is said and done, you can boldly say “I fought a good fight, I have finished my course”.

IN HIS PRESENCE is written by Oke Chinye.
Have you asked Jesus Christ to come into your heart?

He says in Mathew 11:28, “come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” He longs to give you rest."

Would you like to do so now? Here’s a prayer you can say:
Dear Jesus, I believe that You died to save me from all my sins. Today, I invite you into my heart and I accept you as my Lord and Saviour. Please forgive all my sins and help me to live my life for You.

If you prayed this prayer, send me an email at rockteachingministry@gmail.com

I would love to pray with you personally and send you a copy of my book; ‘Living the Life’ to encourage you as you begin your new life in Christ.