"When Jesus had tasted it, he said, 'It is finished! Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit."
This past week I met with a young entrepreneur who was just about to give up and call it quits on his startup company. He comes to me to ask for advice on occasion and I was glad to be there for him at this moment when it seemed he really needed me. Lots of things have been going well for his business, but he was beating himself up pretty badly as his own self expectations are very high. You can't help but like this in an entrepreneur but it's not always fair for the pressure to be that high. After an hour of talking it out and having someone (me) help him zoom out and see how much has been accomplished in such a short time, with so little I might add, he was ready to go back to work and charge the hill again. It's not always smart to keep going when you know that you aren't going to succeed, but we shouldn't give up before we have given it our all. I had to remind this entrepreneur that quitting is a permanent decision to a temporary situation. We should all in our businesses know the difference between the right time and the wrong time to throw in the towel. It's not always easy to see so we might need the help of others, but we should have as clear of a picture as we can on when and where that decision should be made.
As believers we never have to make the decision on when to say that we are finished, because Christ did that for us. Yesterday we celebrated the resurrection of Jesus and as we thanked Him for the sacrifice He made for each of personally, we can see that it is only He that earned the right to say, "It is finished." We should never find ourselves giving up, quitting, or slacking off from the work that God has given us. How could we ever when we know what He went through to allow us to be able to lead the lives we can to bring glory to Him? If you are finding ourselves on the verge of quitting anything that is in front of you that you know you should be continuing and furthering, then I encourage to restore the Easter story into your heart to be reminded that we, and what God wants to do with us, is never finished.
Reference: John 19:29 (New Living Testament)
When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost. John 19:30 (KJV)
ReplyDeleteYes He paid it ALL and it is finished, our salvation is sealed.
I remind myself daily when I feel like giving up or coping with everyday pains what Jesus did for me, how He suffered for me. My pains are nothing, compared to what He suffered. Giving up in small things doesnt seem to be an option when I think of His making the ultimate sacrifice for me.