There are Some Things Worth Finishing- chapter 19

A few years ago we replaced the deck at our cottage and as we were hauling away the lumber I had this great idea. I could use some of the 2x6’s and 4x4’s to build a flower bed around the mailbox out by the road. I’m not real handy that way but I was excited. I could see what it would look like and how I could put it together so we could have this great flower bed and the mailbox would look great all summer. I sure was excited- at first. The lumber is still piled up alongside the garage. But this year…

A number of years ago we were in St. Paul MN and I saw an infomercial for a “cardio-glide”; the perfect piece of exercise equipment. It would work the heart, the lungs, the upper body, and the lower body. Wow, imagine what I’d look like in a few short weeks. Susan would be impressed, my friends would be amazed. I ordered it, it came, I got excited, I gave it a try. But now it’s in the basement with the ab roller and the stationary bike, and every once in awhile when I walk past them I get excited about jumping in and going after it- but…

We have a huge box full of pictures; pictures of our children and their lives when they were little. Years ago we took all these family pictures and put them in shoe boxes by year. We bought a set of new photo albums to put them in. We could see each album set aside for a specific series of years, or maybe an album for each child. We were excited and we still get excited about the idea every so often.

I have a collection of unfinished projects. There are some books and some repair projects. Things started but left unfinished. Do you finish everything you start? I imagine not. And to be honest, some things aren’t worth finishing.

But don’t think, even for a second, that you can put God in your collection of unfinished projects. For starters, he isn’t a “project.” Besides, he’s not going to sit on a shelf contentedly waiting for you to give him your attention once the kids are grown or the retirement is funded or other tasks are completed.

The Israelites learned that lesson the hard way. They returned from Babylonian captivity to rebuild the temple. They started strong but in time turned their attention to other endeavors. What was important to God became unimportant to them. Sixteen years passed without any work being done on the temple. So God allowed drought and downturns and difficulties to come upon them. And he said, “Give careful thought to your ways” (Haggai 1:5, 7).

God is either the main thing in your life or he is nothing. He is not simply one option among many; He’s not an app you can turn to on your i-life when you need Him. At the end of the day, each of us are responsible for our own schedule, our own priorities, our own relationship with God. Either God and His stuff is the main thing or my stuff becomes the main thing and His stuff remains in the basement.

C. S. Lewis wrote, “If we put first things first, we get the second things thrown in; but if we put second things first, we lose both the first and second things.”
It wasn’t original with him. Jesus said that the best way to live life is to keep His main thing the main thing. “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”Jesus said, “Seek first the kingdom of God . . .” (Matthew 6:33).

The Jews eventually got back to God’s priorities and took part in one of the greatest works of heaven. You can too. There are some things worth finishing.