I’ve been meditating recently on something one of my mentors shared with me a while ago, and it continues to impact my life today.

“The world is full of MANY great starters, but FEW good finishers.”

Many years later, I’ve found this statement to be an undisputably truthful description of our human nature.  Look everywhere, and you will see people getting passionate about starting something well.  A business opportunity.  A diet.  A savings plan.  A New Year’s resolution.  A new way of living.  But, somewhere along the way, scores of people are giving up.

Professional sports players often start a season with a hot streak, only to cool off later when it really counts.  An employee’s work ethic and positive spirit are exemplary for the first month, until the commonness and familiarity of the job breed contempt for it.  A new romantic adventure unfolds as each party involved puts their best foot forward, but later grow tired of such efforts and fall back into the patterns of their true selves.  A new Christian is passionate and excited about the things of God, only to slip into boredom, apathy and an overall lack of interest.

It’s all living proof to us that a good beginning really is no guarantee!!

In Galatians 5:7, Paul writes:

“You were running a good race. Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth?”

Let me expand and paraphrase this thought…  “It seemed to me that you got off to a really good start in your relationship with God… but somewhere along the way, you lost your drive.  You lost your passion.  You lost your commitment.  And now, it doesn’t appear to me that you’re running at all!  So – the question I want to ask is: WHO CUT IN ON YOU?”

Those words have been resonating in my heart lately.  Who or what was it that came into your life, and literally interrupted the amazing momentum you once had as you were moving forward in your pursuit of God?  Whatever it was, this question forces us to identify the culprit and deal with it immediately.

Even Jesus saw through the good beginnings and wasn’t impressed.  We see His displeasure towards them when He told the crowds in Luke 14; “For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will RIDICULE HIM.”

Let’s all take these words to heart today, and make sure we remember that a good beginning is no guarantee.  Be a good finisher!

JJ