Finishing StrongSample

Count The Cost

"Beginning well is a momentary thing; finishing well is a lifelong thing." - Ravi Zacharias

Starting something new is always exciting. Even though we may initially have fears, I think, in general, we all look forward to a new thing. Often, I've ventured out into new phases of my life. I can still remember my first day of elementary school. It was scary but exciting, simultaneously. Every idea for a new project, venture, or journey breeds deep excitement in our souls. In life we all love to start, be it dating, marriage, joining the workforce, college, the gym, business, a ministry, a creative project, or a family. Whatever it may be, we all look forward to the beginning of something new because it always sounds and feels magical in our minds. We get a feeling of euphoria which we hope will never disappear. Starting is infused with positives only, and our thoughts may roam the expanse of possibilities, and the results always end well in our minds. Starting is terrific, but there is something more powerful than starting. It is finishing. 

Jesus, in one of his teachings, addressed starting and finishing. While he was speaking on following, he used natural examples to reiterate his point - (Luke 14:28 – 37 NIV). Life is full of many great starters, but unfortunately, the numbers dwindle with finishers. When we stop for a moment and look at the world today, globally, or even in our communities, we can see the effects of the starters that never finished. There are increasing numbers of single-parent homes with mostly absentee fathers, divorce, and teenage pregnancies. There are growing numbers of homeless individuals and families. Businesses are closing their doors, and the list can go on and on. 

Jesus urged us to count the cost before we start because he knew the giddy feelings we would encounter once we have ideas that sound great to us. He knew we could get so caught up in starting and forget the cost involved to finish our assignments. I have seen and experienced so many heartbreaks and disappointments, so many tears and sleepless nights, all because I didn't count the cost.  I didn't consider the whole picture,  creating my own failure. For example, a marriage. It is so easy to start a marriage but often-times we confuse the wedding day with marriage.  When we finally realize what the journey of marriage will cost to finish, we get disappointed. Many marriages today are in a state of flux because the cost was not initially counted. God works differently from our world system. The Word tells us, "For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love, he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will." (Ephesians 1: 4-5 NIV). God knows the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:10 NIV), God counts the cost to the end, and then he started creation. So too, we must count the cost before we start anything, and calculate a strong finish even before we begin.