Finish What You’ve Started

Have you ever started a project and not finished it? Or put a dream on hold because other things got in the way? I think we’ve all experienced these frustrations at some point in our life. The truth is sometimes starting is the easy part. However, with God’s help we can finish whatever we start because the Bible says, “With God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26 NKJV).

I believe when we feel a passion to do something, God has more than likely put that desire in us. For example, I am passionate about teaching people the Word of God. I’m so passionate about it that I’ve given my life to it for the last 38 years and will continue to do so. That’s because God spoke to me and put that desire in my heart. If I had gone and done something else instead, I probably would have spent the rest of my life feeling frustrated and unfulfilled.

That’s what happens when we are passionate about something and we don’t do something about it. But the good news is even when we’re tempted to think that it’s too late to start over, with God, it’s never too late. And God will give us what we need, especially in times of adversity.

It’s important to understand that when we step out to do the things God has planned for us, we need to be ready to stand our ground when opposition comes along. The apostle Paul said, “A wide door of opportunity for effectual [service] has opened to me…and [there are] many adversaries” (1 Corinthians 16:9 AMP).

Defeating Your Giants

These adversaries are like giants, and there are little ones and big ones. Sometimes they come in the form of a mental attack, or they could come through a person you’re close to. People actually laughed at me when I told them what I felt God was calling me to do. Or an adversary could be one of those little daily aggravations we all face.

The bottom line is that the devil sets us up to get us upset. Because he knows that as soon as we get upset and emotional, we stop hearing from God. All we’re hearing is our own frustration and thoughts, and we become aggravated at everybody else. But if you want to fulfill God’s call on your life, you have to learn how to face adversity—your giants—and overcome it.

First Samuel 17 gives us a formula for defeating the giants in our lives. All the soldiers of Israel were in a valley and a giant named Goliath was threatening them. No one wanted to fight Goliath so a shepherd boy named David decided that he would slay the giant. When King Saul heard what David wanted to do, he told him it was a ridiculous idea and that he was too young. David did eventually kill the giant, and we can learn a lot about defeating our own adversaries from his story.

Ignore Criticism

The first thing you have to do is ignore the criticism and the unbelief of others. In 1 Samuel 17:32-33 (AMP), David said to Saul, “Let no man’s heart fail because of this Philistine; your servant will go out and fight with him.’ And Saul said to David, ‘You are not able to go to fight against this Philistine. You are only an adolescent, and he has been a warrior from his youth.” David responded by telling King Saul all that God could do.

Remember Victories

The second thing you have to do if you want to defeat your giants is remember the past victories God has given you. When you get in a tight spot, look back at what God has already brought you through and delivered you from. Don’t look at how far you have to go; look at how far you’ve come.

Watch Your Words

It’s also important to speak the Word and not words of defeat. In 1 Samuel 17:46-47, David tells Goliath exactly how’s he’s going to defeat him. He says, “This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will smite you and cut off your head. And I will give the corpses of the army of the Philistines this day to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saves not with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord’s, and He will give you into our hands.”

I love the fact that David knew what he had to do. He ran to the battle line, trusting God and confessing out loud what was going to happen to the giant. See, when we put our confidence in God, we can overcome any obstacle. You can speak the Word of God and say: “I know who I am, and I know who I belong to. I am a child of the living God. Nothing will defeat me. This is God’s promise to me in His Word, and I will not do without the very best that God says that I can have. I will not give up!”

Glorifying God

Ultimately, David was totally dependent on God and gave Him all the glory. He wasn’t really concerned with what he could do because he knew what God could do. We don’t need to look at ourselves; we need to look at God and know that with Him, all things are possible.

You don’t have to be defeated by Satan’s lies, and you don’t have to quit. You can defeat your giants and see the fulfillment of your dreams. God does not want you to give up—He wants you to get up. With His help and your determination, you can finish what you’ve started!

–Joyce Meyer