During the 1998 Commonwealth games held in Malaysia an incident happaned which I will never forget. It happaned during the Men's walk. An unfancied New Zealand walker shot to the front of the race and left the rest of the field in his dust, including I think the current world champion. He ignored the incrediable, heat, humidity and pollution and walked at a speed he had never walked before. For over an hour all the TV cameras were fixed on this dynamic walk and with a few Km's to the finish it looked like he had the gold medal in his pocket. All of a sudden this Kiwi walker started to wobble and lurch as he walked. It got worse and worse he looked like he was totally drunk. The punishing pace was simply to much for his body. For a little while he tried to continue including crawling on his hands and knees but it was to much. Eventually he was bundled off the course and rushed to hospital in a critical state of dehydration. The brutal fact was that the last finisher in that race beat him because he did not complete it.
The reason I share this story is that it reminds me of my self. I sieze on a new ideas and plans and charge away with huge enthusiasim and motivation. People must watch and say wow look at that guy go. But a little way down the track I start looking like the Kiwi walker (usually I don't even get that far!). After a while I start off on a new project without finishing the project I was on. Being honest my completion rate can be very low. But you know what? Our God is a God of completion!
"Now Finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it" (2 Corinthians 8:11)
1. Before God opens new doors of opportunity we need to complete and shut the doors he has already given us.
2. In periods of transition we need to close the doors of the past (note, I said close not ignore!) before we open new doors otherwise it seems like we are sitting on a barbed wire fence, being torn no matter which way we go.
3. Our lives are like a book. We need to finish the chapter we are on before we move on to the next chapter.
4. Our lives are like a race but within that race are many laps. You need to finish each lap you are on.
5. Our legacy will be what we finished, not what we started.
6. In the end doors are there to be shut (as I always tell my kids!)
7. My main involvments in 2006 will be to complete what I did'nt bother to do in 2005!
8. I believe that to see some of these words that have been spoken of a new dawn, and new beginnings come to pass, we need to begin to complete.
9. I believe as we focus on completing and closeing doors, so then will those new doors flow open.
10. If this speaks to you, I encourage you to get up and go and find a door in your house that is open. Shut the door and as you do ask God to help you be a completer. If you can think of something specifically say it as you shut that door. Our whole family did this on Friday night, including our 4 year old, it was fantastic (except when they tried to lock each other in the toilet).
