Every new year season, and especially this year 2022, we are overwhelmed with feel-good messages about New Beginnings – a clean slate, a blank page, a brilliant opportunity to start afresh. It is true that God, with His wonderful gift called TIME brings every single one of us, rich, poor, old and young, to the starting line of a new year. Yet, in all this hype of a new start, we need to embrace the sober reminder, that the ending well is more important beginning.
What is the common life theme of Samson, King Saul, King Solomon, King Asa and Judas. They are all the poster boys of the thought-provoking adage – A good start does not guarantee a great finish. A crowd of people may turn up at the starting point of the marathon but only few people manage to reach the finish line.
Beginning is also important, but ending well is more important. Steven Covey’s Habit # 2 mentions that we should Begin with the end in mind. When we prayerfully make our annual plans we should never ‘bite more than we can chew’. In the first few days of 2022 let us spend time imagining the last few days of the year, picturising, in our mind’s eye, the highly satisfying moment when we put a tick mark against the annual goal and thanks God for what He accomplished in our life.
The Apostle Paul was a brilliant example of finishing well. Throughout his epistles, and in his own life, we find nuggets of profound wisdom, on how to end well. He knew that the city of Corinth hosted famous athletic events, so he liberally uses the metaphor of running the race.
I Corinthians 9: 24 - 27
Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.
Our own individual journeys to the finish line requires the disciplines of focus, hard work, commitment, and consistency. Indeed, daily disciplines are the key differentiating factors to finish strongly.
Hebrews 12:11
No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.
My prayer for you for 2022 is that you need to start smart, struggle well and end with spectacular significance.