Meanwhile his disciples urged him, “Rabbi, eat something.”

But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.”

Then his disciples said to each other, “Could someone have brought him food?”

“My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. Don’t you have a saying, ‘It’s still four months until harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. Even now the one who reaps draws a wage and harvests a crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. Thus the saying ‘One sows and another reaps’ is true. I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor.” John 4:31-38 (NIV)

Does anybody else have a problem finishing things?

I have had a chronic problem with finishing things for most of my life. I get excited about something, start it enthusiastically, and then hit a snag or get tired or come up with a new idea that excites me and off I go to start something else. That’s why I have the quilted squares for a king-size quilt in boxes in my basement that have never connected to one another. 🙂

It is something I have seriously been working on for the last few years. Staying focused. Finishing what I start.

So when I read this part of John 4, Jesus’ words jumped out at me.

The Words of Jesus

“My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.”

The redemptive work that Christ accomplished in His death and resurrection was the culmination thousands of years. From the moment that Adam and Eve bit into that fruit, sin separated people from God. He crafted this beautiful narrative of redemptive power and love. Jesus got to finish this work. He literally got to be the climactic moment in the story of all creation.

Imagine if He had been discouraged, too tired, or simply caught up in a new idea.

Praise the Lord that He kept going even when He ran into an obstacle or became weary.

Action Step:

What is the thing that God has called you to do? Your marriage? Your family? Your ministry? Your job? A project?
If you are tired, distracted, or discouraged, encourage yourself in the Lord. Jesus did not give up. Neither should we.

When we feel like giving up, it’s time to tighten our focus and finish the work.

When we get tired, it’s time to put on compassion and finish the work with kindness.

When our imagination is captured by something that seems more interesting, it’s time to kick in the perseverance and finish the work.

Prayer:

Dear God, help us keep going. Enable us to follow the example of Jesus and finish the work. Thank you for calling us and entrusting us with Your work. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Check out posts on the first three chapters of John here if you haven’t seen them yet!