Finishing Well

I cannot even begin to express my excitement about Boa’s “Finishing Well” chapter and I will tell you why. This past Sunday afternoon I came home from church and laid around for a bit, then I got anxious sitting in the house so I put on my running shoes and headed out to Regent’s Campus to take a walk and I brought my bible. I made it to The chapel in the library and sat down to have some quiet time in the word. I was lead to verses about strengthening my faith. My whole summer theme is about strengthening my faith, seeking God to know Him so that I may know the woman that I am and will become. So over my quite time I read through verses about finishing the race. The Lord spoke to me that now is the time to run and strengthen my endurance for the road ahead, to run the race to receive the prize, “...all the runners run, but only one gets the prize…” (1 Corinthians 9:24, Holy Bible, NIV). So here I am finished with reading the “Finishing Well” chapter and I am just in awe. This is further confirmation of what the Lord spoke to me Sunday afternoon. I have just been strongly encouraged with the text. 

As for the seven characteristics of people who finish well I would rate myself accordingly, (1-10) 1 being in need of improvement and attention and 10 being where most of my efforts lie:

1. Intimacy: 7 - This comes along with discipline, I cannot be intimate with Christ if I do not discipline myself to commit to spending time with the Lord. Growing to know Him. I am slowly, but surely improving in this area, of spending valuable time with the Lord. 
2. Discipline: 4 - I have major trouble in this area. I was just discussing this morning with a close friend about how we are both very stubborn and set in our ways. So here is where I need to break the chain of being undisciplined. To practice with consistency so that I may being to live out the disciplines naturally.
3. Perspective: 7 - Over the past 2 years I have been pushed, thrown, poked, hit, and taken quite a beating by means of my own decision making and the trials that came my way as a result of my decision making. It has revolutionized my thinking and heart. I used to have a life with less anxiety and more freedom, but I lost that because I wasn’t trusting, I didn’t have strong hope. The need is to remind myself that God has it all figured out. “This personal knowledge increases our faith and our capacity to trust His character and His promises” (Boa, 453, 2001).
4. Teachable: 7 - When I discipline myself to learn and dig deeper I am teachable. I guess my interest has to be sparked most of the time. “In our youth, we have a problem with foolishness and lack of focus…” (Boa, p. 454, 2001).
5. Purpose: 8 - Such a big influence on my goals for this summer. Lord what is my purpose? Where lies my purpose in becoming this Godly woman? I love it!
6. Relationships: 8 - I have begun to develop many beautiful relationships with friends whom I invest in and they invest in me. There is Godly council and wonderful encouragement. I could not thank God enough. He is showing me which relationships are important for my growth and for this road I travel.
7. Ministry: 6 - 

I feel as though I am in a mediocre stage of my spiritual finishing well characteristics. I need to draw my own attention to the many areas that I have to work on.