In part 1 of Finishing Well, I defined what finishing well means and what it looks like. In conclusion, we will look at the barriers to finishing well and practical ways to pursue finishing well.
Barriers to Finishing Well
The journey of faith is rarely easy. Barriers to finishing well include complacency, bitterness, pride, isolation, or discouragement. The stories of faith are filled with individuals who started strong but faltered later in life due to unresolved conflicts, a loss of vision, or moral failure.
- Sampson-temptation of a woman
- Absalom-pride and power
- Ananias & Sapphira-money
- Solomon—lost momentum
- King Uzziah—power and pride
Recognizing these pitfalls is essential for anyone seeking to finish well.
- Complacency: The temptation to rest on past achievements or to lose spiritual fervor as time goes on.
- Bitterness: Allowing old wounds or disappointments to define one’s later years, rather than seeking healing or forgiveness.
- Pride: Becoming self-reliant or arrogant, losing the humility that keeps one open to God’s guidance and correction.
- Isolation: Withdrawing from community or accountability, which often leads to loneliness and vulnerability to temptation.
- Discouragement: Feeling overwhelmed by the world’s challenges or personal limitations, leading to a loss of hope or motivation.
Practical Ways to Pursue Finishing Well
Finishing well is a daily commitment rather than a one-time decision. Here are some practices that can help nurture a life that ends with faith and purpose:
- Regular Self-Examination: Taking time to reflect, pray, and assess one’s relationship with God, motives, and priorities. To finish well be honest with yourself about identifying your flaw. We’ve all got them.
- Stay rooted in community: Share life with others who can offer encouragement, accountability, and support. This path can be hard. We are always better together.
- Continuous learning: Remaining teachable, open to God’s Word, and willing to grow spiritually at every stage of life.
- Know that your desire to finish well or your idea of what finishing well would look like may be limited by the choices of others in control. It may not look like you imagined. Finishing well does not mean fulfilling all our desires. Press on to do what you are able in your desire to finish well.
- Serve Others: Using your gifts and resources to bless others, showing love and generosity in tangible ways.
- Practice Gratitude: Cultivating thankfulness for God’s faithfulness, which fuels hope and perseverance even in difficulty.
Ultimately, finishing well is not about achieving a perfect life or earning God’s favor. It is a response to God’s love and grace, a way of saying, “I have trusted You; I have followed You, and I have tried to live faithfully until the end.”
It is a reminder that what matters most is not how we start, nor the number of successes or failures along the way, but the direction of your heart at the finish line. In the final analysis, it is not the applause of the world but the quiet affirmation, “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:23), that is the ultimate reward.
To finish well is to live with the end in mind, not in fear but in hope and assurance. It is to journey with the confidence that God’s faithfulness is sufficient for every season, every trial, and every transition. Begin today.
