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Written by John Bevere

I imagine you agree with me about this: How we finish is more important than how we begin. We find this idea affirmed in Scripture, for Ecclesiastes says:

In the Christian life, the ultimate finish is to hear our Lord say to us at the end, “Well done, My good and faithful servant!” But what will it take to hear those remarkable words from the One who means everything to us?

To finish life well requires that we live life well. This requires we know how to never give up, no matter how challenging or discouraging our circumstances get. It means having a relentless spirit. When we falter or grow weary, Scripture urges us:

The effects of our perseverance go well beyond what we can perceive in the moment of our struggle. We need look no further than Scripture to find examples of what happens when people do (or do not) finish well.

Consider Solomon, son of David and the wisest, richest, most powerful man of his time. He achieved heights no human being for generations before or many afterward even came close to.

However, he faltered in the latter part of his reign. Because Solomon had many foreign wives who worshipped other gods, he more than likely experienced tremendous conflict over being single-minded in his allegiance and obedience to Jehovah. In order to keep peace, he did not remain loyal to Jehovah. He built altars for, and even worshiped, his favored wives’ false gods.

Solomon suffered greatly from his folly, but his children and grandchildren were affected even more profoundly. The kingdom that was entrusted to him in strength began to suffer. The nation was divided and eventually withered. Israel’s history would have been significantly different if Solomon had remained relentless.

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