فصل 13

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

I AM DETERMINED

Finishing Grace

It doesn’t take a lot of effort to start things—a diet, school, a family. Starting is easy. Finishing is what can be difficult. Almost any young lady can have a baby, but it takes a mother to really raise that child. Any two people can get married, but it takes commitment to stick with it for the long haul. Anyone can have a dream, but it takes determination, perseverance, and a made-up mind to see it come to pass. The question is not “Will you start?” but “Will you finish?” Will you finish the diet? Will you finish school? Will you finish raising your children? Too many people start off well. They have big dreams. They’re excited about their futures. But along the way they have some setbacks. It’s taking longer than they thought. Somebody didn’t do what they said. Over time, they get discouraged and think, What’s the use? It’s never going to work out.

But God is called “the author and the finisher of our faith.” He has not only given you the grace to start; He has given you the grace to finish. When you are tempted to get discouraged, give up on a dream, give up on a relationship, or give up on a project, you have to remind yourself, I was not created to give up. I was not created to quit. I was created to finish.

You have to shake off the discouragement. Shake off the self-pity. Shake off what somebody said. If you will keep moving forward in faith, honoring God, you will come into a strength that you didn’t have before, a force pushing you forward. That’s finishing grace. That’s God breathing in your direction, helping you to become who He created you to be.

This grace is available, but you have to tap into it. It’s not going to do us any good if we sit around in self-pity, thinking about how difficult things are, what didn’t work out. “Well, my college professor is so hard. I’ll never pass his course.” Friend, you have the grace to finish. Quit talking defeat and start talking victory. “I can do all things through Christ. I am full of wisdom, talent, and creativity. I will pass this course.” When you say that, finishing grace will help you do what you could not do on your own.

Even in simple things. You start cleaning your house. Five minutes later, you think, I don’t feel like doing this. I am so tired. This is so boring. Instead, turn it around and tell yourself, “I am strong in the Lord. I am full of energy. I am healthy. This is no match for me.” If you will tap into this finishing grace, you will vacuum your house as though you’re on a mission from God—vacuuming up dirt, coins, socks, children, anything else that gets in your way!

“He Will Bring You to a Flourishing Finish”

Maybe you’re tempted to give up on a dream. Things haven’t turned out the way you planned. It was going fine at first, but then you had some obstacles and you think, It just wasn’t meant to be. Here’s what I’ve learned. The enemy doesn’t try to stop you from starting. He has seen a lot of people start. That doesn’t bother him. But when you have a made-up mind and keep pushing forward, doing the right thing, taking new ground, when he sees you getting closer, he will work overtime to try to keep you from finishing. Don’t get discouraged when you have setbacks, people come against you, or you get a negative medical report. That’s a sign that you’re moving toward your finish line.

The enemy was fine when you got started. He was fine when you were far from finishing. No big deal. But when you began to make progress, that got his attention. That’s when he threw out some obstacles, some challenges. Where you confused him is he thought you would give up after the first few difficulties. He thought you would get discouraged when that friend turned on you, when you lost that client, when your child got in trouble, but instead you kept moving forward, thanking God that He is in control, thanking Him that He is fighting your battles, thanking Him that no weapon formed against you will prosper. What were you doing? Tapping into finishing grace. When you should have gotten weaker, you got stronger. When you should have been depressed, you had a smile on your face. When you should have been complaining, you had a song of praise. Instead of talking about how big the problem was, you were always talking about how big your God is. When you should have gone under, God caused you to go over. When you didn’t see a way, He made a way. When people came against you, He fought your battles and you came out better than you were before.

You may be up against challenges right now. It’s because you are moving forward. You’re making progress. Keep reminding yourself that God is the author and the finisher of your faith. He helped you to get started. That’s great, but there’s something more important: He is going to help you finish. He didn’t bring you this far to leave you.

It says in Philippians, “God began a good work in you, and He will continue to perform it until it is complete.” One translation says, “He will bring you to a flourishing finish”—not a defeated finish, where you barely make it and are beat up and broke. You are coming to a flourishing finish, a finish more rewarding than you ever imagined.

Be in It to Win It

When Joseph was a teenager, God gave him a dream that one day he would rule a nation. His father, Jacob, loved him very much. Everything started off great for Joseph. He had a big dream, a supportive family. Life was good. But when Joseph was seventeen, things started to go wrong. His brothers became jealous of him and turned on him. They threw him into a pit and left him there to die. Eventually they changed their minds and sold him into slavery. He was taken to Egypt and resold to a man named Potiphar. Joseph hadn’t really done anything wrong, yet his whole world had been turned upside down. It looked as if his dream was dead; he had been betrayed by his family and enslaved in a foreign country. If that wasn’t bad enough, they put him in prison for years for something that he didn’t do.

Joseph must have been depressed, angry, bitter, and upset. Nothing had turned out right. But Joseph understood this principle. He knew he had the grace not only to start but to finish what God put in his heart. He knew the enemy wouldn’t be fighting him if he wasn’t heading toward his destiny. So he stayed in faith. He kept doing the right thing when the wrong thing was happening. He was not working unto people but working unto God.

One day the Pharaoh, the leader of the nation, had a dream that he didn’t understand. Joseph was able to interpret the dream. Pharaoh was so impressed with Joseph that he brought him out of prison and put him in charge of the whole nation. Joseph’s dream came to pass.

God has put something on you that will override people being against you. It will override bad breaks and injustice. You have the grace not just to start. You have something even more powerful—the grace to finish. When you have an attitude like Joseph had, you cannot stay defeated. Life may push you down, but God will pull you back up. People may do you wrong, but God will be your vindicator. Situations may look impossible, but God can do the impossible. When you have finishing grace, all the forces of darkness cannot stop you. You may suffer some setbacks, bad breaks, and injustice. But don’t worry. It’s only temporary. It’s just a detour on the way to your destiny. That’s a sign that you are moving toward your finish line.

The enemy doesn’t fight people who are going the wrong way, people who are off course, discouraged, distracted, bitter, and angry. That’s where he wants you. He comes against people who are headed toward the fullness of their destinies, people who are taking new ground, people like you who are coming into a flourishing finish. Our attitude should be, I have a made-up mind. I am determined. I’m going to keep moving forward in spite of the bad break, in spite of the loss, in spite of the negative report, in spite of the critics. My destiny is too great and my assignment is too important to get discouraged, distracted, and bitter. I’m not going halfway or three-fourths of the way. I’m going to become all God has created me to be.

When you’re tempted to get discouraged and settle, it’s because you’re close to your breakthrough. You’re close to seeing the problem turn around. You’re close to meeting the right person. Pharaoh is about to call you, so to speak. The good break is on the way. The healing is on the way. The contract is on the way. Now you have to tap into this finishing grace. Friend, you’ve come too far to stop now. You’ve believed too long. You’ve worked too hard. You’ve invested too much. It may be difficult. Negative voices may be telling you, “It’s never going to work out. Forget it. Just settle where you are.” But don’t believe those lies. You are close to your destiny.

When the going gets tough, you have to dig your heels in and say, “I am in it to win it. I am not moved by this opposition. I am not moved by what I see or by what I feel. I’m moved by what I know, and I know this: I have the grace to finish. I know this: God began a good work in me, and He is going to complete it. So I’m going to keep honoring God. I’m going to keep being good to people. I’m going to keep on being my best.” Every day you do that, you are passing the test. You are one day closer to coming into your finish line.

Strength in Reserve

The Scripture says, “As your days are, so shall your strength be.” This means your strength will always be equivalent to what you need. If you were to get a negative medical report, you’re going to have the strength to deal with it. You’re not going to fall apart. “Oh, I can’t believe this is happening.” Your strength will always match what you’re up against.

When my father went to be with the Lord, my first thought was, How am I going to deal with this? My dad and I were very close. We had traveled the world together. All of a sudden he was gone. But what I thought would be very devastating and would knock the wind out of me wasn’t anything like I had imagined. I felt a peace I had never felt, a strength, a resolve, a determination. I should have been upset and anxious, but that whole time I was at peace. Deep down I felt a rest. In my mind there were thoughts of worry, anxiety, and discouragement, but in my spirit I could hear God whispering, “Joel, I’m in control. It’s all going to work out. I have you in the palm of My hand.” That was finishing grace pushing me forward, propelling me into my destiny.

The psalmist said in Psalm 46, “God is a very present help in times of need.” In the difficulties of life, if you will get quiet and turn off the negative voices, you will feel a peace that passes understanding. You should be falling apart, but there is grace for every season.

Victoria and I were in Colorado one time, driving through the mountains. We rented a large SUV with an eight-cylinder engine. As long as we were on the flat roads, the engine was as quiet as could be. But as we started going up the steep winding mountain roads, just when we thought the vehicle couldn’t make it, when it looked like it was going to stop, you could hear those extra two cylinders kick in. You could actually feel the car, almost as though it lifted up and took off with a new power.

Those two extra cylinders were there all the time. The extra power was always available. It just showed up when we needed it. It was strength in reserve. Sometimes in life we think, How am I going to make it up that steep hill? I’ve gotten this far, but how am I going to deal with this illness? How am I going to raise this difficult child? I went through a loss, and I don’t think I can go on. The good news is that God has some strength in reserve for you. When you hit a tough time, don’t worry. There are two more cylinders about to kick in, a strength you haven’t tapped into yet. You’re going to feel a force pushing you forward, taking you where you could not go on your own. That’s finishing grace.

I’ve learned that the closer you get to your destiny, the tougher the battles become. The higher you go up the mountain, the more God promotes you, and the steeper the hill is. The critics will come out of the woodwork. People may not celebrate you. There will be unexpected challenges—a health issue, a business slows down, or you lose a loved one. It’s easy to think, I was doing so well. If I just wouldn’t have had this bad break. Now I’ve got this steep hill to climb. That challenge is a sign that you are close to your destiny. The same God who gave you the grace to start is the same God who is going to help you finish. He knows exactly where your path is leading. Nothing you’re facing is a surprise to Him. He knows every hill, every disappointment, and every setback. He said that His grace is sufficient. You will never come to a hill where you don’t have the strength to climb it.

You may face some challenges, as I did when my dad went to be with the Lord, when you think, I don’t know how I’m going to make it up this hill. The reason you think that way is you haven’t needed those two extra cylinders yet. You have not felt the full force of finishing grace. When it kicks in, it’s going to propel you forward. You’re going to climb mountains that you thought were way too steep. You’re going to overcome obstacles that looked insurmountable, accomplish dreams that you thought were impossible. How will you do this? Finishing grace. You’ll tap into strength in reserve.

Guard Your Fire

This is what the Apostle Paul did in the Scripture. He faced some huge hills. It didn’t look as though he could fulfill his destiny. He was doing the right thing, sharing the good news, helping other people, but then he was arrested and put in prison. The closer he got to his destiny, the more obstacles he faced. He was alone, in a dungeon, on death row. It looked as though God had forgotten about him. But Paul wasn’t defeated, depressed, or feeling sorry for himself. Even though he was in chains, he couldn’t be stopped from doing what God wanted him to do. Since Paul couldn’t go out and speak publically, he thought, No problem. I’ll start writing. He wrote book after book. “Here’s a letter to the Ephesians. Here’s a letter to the Colossians, to the Romans, to the Corinthians.” He wrote over half of the books of the New Testament, much of it from a prison cell. His enemies thought they were stopping him, but they were doing just the opposite: causing his voice to become amplified. Here we are some two thousand years later, and we still feel Paul’s influence. What they meant for harm, God used for good.

People may try to stop you, but finishing grace will get you to where you’re supposed to be. They may push you down, but finishing grace will lift you back up. They may try to discredit, belittle, or leave you out. Don’t get upset. They are a part of the plan to get you to your destiny. God will use them to propel you forward. As long as you stay in faith and keep honoring God, you will accomplish your assignment. He is the author and the finisher of your faith.

Now, quit focusing on who is against you, on how steep the hill is, on how impossible it looks. God has the final say. He brought Joseph out of prison. Paul stayed in prison, but they both fulfilled their destinies. If God doesn’t turn it around the way you thought, He may cause you to have great influence right in the midst of your enemies as Paul did. In the midst of those difficulties, you can shine, be a bright light, and have God’s favor. Bottom line is this: No person can stand against our God. No bad break can keep you from your destiny. God has given you finishing grace. He is going to get you to where you’re supposed to be.

When Paul came to the end of his life, he said, “I have finished my course.” One translation says, “I finished my course with joy.” Notice, he didn’t finish defeated, depressed, or sour. He finished with a smile on his face. He finished with a spring in his step. He finished with a song in his heart. That’s what it means to have a flourishing finish.

We all have things come against us. It’s easy to lose our passion and drag through life discouraged, negative, and bitter, but there is no victory if you finish your course that way. You have to make up your mind, I’m not only going to finish my course; I’m going to finish it with joy, with a good attitude. Not complaining, but with a song of praise. Not thinking about what I don’t have, but thanking God for what I do have. Not looking at what’s wrong in my life, but thanking God for what’s right in my life. When you tap into finishing grace, you won’t drag through the day. You will enjoy the day.

Thousands of years ago in Greece, there was a famous race called the Torch Relay. All of the runners received a torch. At the start of the race, they would light their torches, and the runners would take off running with their torches lit. The only way you could win the race was to cross the finish line with your torch still lit. Even if you finished first, if your fire went out, you were disqualified. So the whole time they were running, in the forefront of their minds was protecting their fire, keeping it from wind or rain or anything that might put it out. They were constantly checking their torches to make sure that they were still lit.

It’s the same principle in the race of life. If you’re going to finish your course with joy, you have to guard your fire. You can’t let your flame go out. Too many people have lost their passion. They’re still running, but their torch is no longer lit. At one time they were passionate about their dreams, then they had some setbacks. Now they’re running, which is good, but they let their fire go out. They lost their zeal. If that’s you, I’ve come to relight your fire. God is not done with you. You have not seen your best days. You have to shake off the blahs. Shake off the discouragement. There is a flame that is still alive inside you. The Scripture talks about how we must fan the flame, stir up the gifts. It’s not enough to just finish. You have to finish your course with your fire still burning.

Finish Your Course with Joy

For as long as I can remember, my father struggled with high blood pressure. Toward the end of his life, he didn’t feel well. The medicines made him dizzy. His kidneys quit working properly, and he had to go on dialysis. We used to travel overseas a couple of times a year. He really looked forward to it. But when his health went downhill, he had to stay at home and take dialysis three times a week. He never wanted to live if he couldn’t preach. Even though he didn’t feel well, he never missed a Sunday.

Victoria used to go pick him up and bring him to church a little bit late. Sometimes she would call and say, “Joel, I’m not sure your dad can minister today. It doesn’t seem as though he feels well.”

I would run down from the TV department during the service. When he arrived, I would ask, “Daddy, are you sure you’re up to this?”

He would smile and say, “Yeah, Joel. I’m ready to go.”

When he walked out on the platform, nobody knew he wasn’t up to par. He still had a spring in his step, a smile on his face. He could have been at home, negative and complaining, “God, I’ve served You all these years. Look what it comes down to. I can hardly even minister.” Instead, he kept his fire burning. He guarded that flame. He was determined to not just finish his course, but to finish it with joy.

One night when my dad was seventy-seven years old, he wasn’t feeling well. He asked my brother-in-law Gary to come over and visit with him. They were talking at about two o’clock in the morning and Gary asked him what he thought about the difficulties he was having.

My father said, “Gary, I don’t understand it all, but I know this: His mercy endures forever.”

Those were the last words my father ever spoke. Right then, he breathed his final breath and went to be with the Lord. But think about those last words. He wasn’t complaining. He was bragging on God’s goodness. He was not magnifying his problem, but magnifying his God. He crossed the finish line with his fire still burning, with his torch still lit.

The Scripture talks about how the saints of old died in faith. The truth is that one day we’re all going to die. You have to make a decision. Are you going to die in faith? Or are you going to die negative, bitter, and complaining, “I can’t believe this happened.” Make up your mind that you’re going to die full of joy, with your fire still burning, with your torch still lit.

Never Give Up

In 1968, the Olympic Games were held in Mexico City. During the marathon, a young runner from Tanzania fell and broke his leg. He was bloodied and bruised, but somehow he managed to get up and continue running. Long after everyone else had finished the race, he entered the stadium for his final lap. More than one hundred thousand people had been there earlier, but now, an hour or two later, only a few thousand people remained. The main lights were off, the television cameras gone. The event was officially over.

As he struggled into the stadium and headed toward that final lap, when the few thousand people saw him, they stood up and began to cheer him on. They cheered louder and louder as if he were in first place. Drawing strength from the crowd, he began to smile and wave as if he were going to win the gold medal. It was a moving moment, later seen around the world.

A reporter asked him afterward, “Why didn’t you drop out of the race when you broke your leg? Nobody would have faulted you for it.” The young man from Tanzania said, “My country didn’t send me seven thousand miles to start the race but to finish it.” In the same way, God didn’t breathe His life into you, crown you with favor, and put seeds of greatness inside you to just start the race. He sent you to finish it. The Scripture talks about how the race is not for the swift or for the strong, but for those who endure till the end. You don’t have to finish first. You’re not competing with anybody else. Just finish your course. Keep your fire burning. You weren’t created to give up, to quit. We can all find a reason to drop out of the race. We can all find an excuse. But you have to dig your heels in and say, “I am determined to finish my course.” If you will tap into this finishing grace, those two extra cylinders will kick in when you need it. You’ll have a strength that you didn’t have. As did the Apostle Paul, you will finish your course with joy. You will complete your assignment and become everything God created you to be.