Day 30
Better is the end of a thing than its beginning, and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit. Ecc 7:8
Going the distance. Carry through a course of action to completion; to play the entire game; to run the whole race, ‘complete a fight without being knocked out’
I struggled a lot in the past with finishing things I started. I always found myself quitting once I hit the tough spots, terrified that I couldn't do it. I have since realised that usually the ability to do a thing is only cemented in the arena, i.e. in the process of doing the thing. Don’t let the fear of failure stop you, the fear is worse than the failure itself because with ‘experienced’ failure, there is a lesson to be learned. You can never be convinced of your ability to do hard things if you don't actually do the hard things. Cheating doesn't rob only those that follow the rules of their prize, it also robs those that cheat of the self confidence that would have come from trying.
Better is the end. One of the most popular verses for the end of life for believers is 2 Tim 4:7 ‘I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.’ Every believer looks forward to being able to say that verse with confidence at the end of their life. This life is a fight alright, a test of endurance, a challenge to see if you can overcome the hard bits. Going the distance, all the way to the end, to accomplish what you have set out to do requires pushing through and setting aside the things that make you fall easily (for me it was making excuses for myself, laziness and the desire to be comfortable). But at the end of that sacrifice comes a sense of accomplishment, confidence in your ability to do hard things. At the beginning and even in the middle of this challenge, I kept counting down to the end but now that we are actually at Day 30, I am looking back with joy and a deeper appreciation for discipline. I may have been eagerly looking forward to this day so that I would be absolved of the commitment but as I am at the end,I know I will miss this time.
Let patience do its work. and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit. It’s interesting that our verse of the day juxtaposes a patient spirit and a proud spirit similar to the verse that says pride comes before a fall. Usually people fall when they aren’t watching where they are going or running too quickly. For me that means that the proud person rushes towards destruction because he has no patience or foresight to trust the Lord. Going the distance requires patience and patience requires you to finish so that you can be mature and complete. James 1:4. Take your time, learn to wait on the Lord, trust in His timing. Go the distance all the way to completion so that you learn wisdom and understanding and a deeper appreciation for simple things that only come with maturity.
Top lesson I learned from this challenge? Adjusting your mind about the challenge can actually make the process more enjoyable so that the odds of going the distance are higher. The challenge is inevitable but the way you go through it and the outcome is up to you
Ps 126 5-6 says ‘Those who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy. They weep as they go to plant their seed, but they sing as they return with the harvest.’ The Israelites are planting and it is hard work so maybe that is why they are weeping and in tears but the only way to harvest with shouts of joy and singing is the planting and weeping. Do you want to sing? Then get through the weeping, push through it. You cannot stop at the tears sister please.
I’ll share something I wrote in 2019 that I hope explains what I am trying to say better.
You know how you have chronic back pain and you get a massage? You know that beginning part where you start to feel the pressure from the masseuse? It starts off hurting but then it quickly starts to hurt in a good way depending on how intense the knot or pain is to begin with.
I want you to apply that to life. When you start to feel the pain intensify, you have to start getting excited cos you’re about to get some release and freedom. But you have to stay on that bed with the masseuse to get the release. You’ve got to stay and experience that pressure, don’t run away, don’t try to find something else to cover it. Stay in it and push through it. It may take a while but stay the course cos honey you’re working through generational curses, you’re working through roots that have been ingrained for aeons. You are getting to a place of freedom and joy. So I want you to start feeling a tingle of excitement whenever the pressure comes. Somebody say Yay for Healing!!!
Push through my sister, go the distance.