The Glory Is in Finishing

Jesus says,

I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. - John 17:4

Jesus does not say, “I brought you glory by intending well.”
He does not say, “I brought you glory by starting strong.”
He says, “by finishing.”

We start many things in life. We set goals. We begin projects. Nobody starts something thinking, I will not finish this. Whether it is losing weight, reading the Bible cover to cover, attending prayer meetings regularly, building a church, or even something simple like reaching church on time, we all begin with good intentions. But many of these things never reach closure. They remain half-done, abandoned, unfinished.

And Jesus makes it clear that glory is not in starting, but in finishing.

Many times starting itself becomes a kind of identity badge. It becomes something flashy that we show about ourselves. But Jesus says the glory is not there. The glory is in finishing what the Father has entrusted to us. Finishing involves struggle. Finishing involves perseverance. Finishing involves staying faithful even when it becomes difficult, painful, or tiring.

Jesus himself shows us this. Through his life and ultimately through the cross, however horrible and painful it was, he did exactly what he came to do. Even toward the very end, while hanging on the cross, his mission was still saving souls. He speaks to the thief and brings him salvation. And then he says, “It is finished” in John 19:30. He was able to say it because he completed what was committed to him.

We see this same pattern with Paul. The Lord encounters him suddenly, but his obedience unfolds over a lifetime. He travels, plants churches, establishes leaders, suffers imprisonment, hunger, beatings, and shipwrecks. And at the end of his life he can say,

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. - 2 Timothy 4:7

That is where the glory is. In finishing.

We see this again in Joshua. Joshua watched Moses lead Israel through the Red Sea, guided by the pillar of fire and cloud. Later he steps into Moses’ place, leads the people into the promised land, allots the land to the tribes, and completes what God promised. At the end he can say

But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord. - Joshua 24:15

These are people who knew their calling, knew their race, and stayed with it until the end.

Scripture also shows us people who did not finish.

Ananias and Sapphira began with what looked like a good intention. They sold their land like others in the early church, but when the money came, their commitment weakened. They did not finish with integrity what they had started.

The king whom Elisha speaks to is given a promise of victory. He is told to strike the ground. He strikes it three times and stops. Elisha becomes angry and says that if he had continued, the victory would have been complete. Because he stopped halfway, the promise was only partially fulfilled.

We see people who started well but did not finish well. John and Paul both speak of people who left the faith. Judas walked with Jesus, was trained like the others, but did not end well.

Scripture is honest with us. Starting well does not guarantee finishing well.

So if finishing brings glory to God, how do we stay on track? There are three things we must pay attention to.

# Know Your Priority

First, we must know our priority.

Today we live with constant distractions. We have too many choices and too many voices pulling us in different directions. When Jesus went to the house of Mary and Martha, Mary sat at his feet listening, while Martha was distracted with many things. Jesus says,

Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed, or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better. - Luke 10:41–42

Jesus is not saying other things are unimportant. He is saying that at a given moment, one thing matters more. Priority matters.

Jesus says,

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. - Matthew 6:33

He is not saying the other things will be taken away. He says they will be added.

We need to know what is important at the right time and cling to it. Ecclesiastes tells us there is a season for everything. There is time to work, time to rest, time to enjoy. The Bible does not remove these things. It teaches us order.

For example, when I wake up in the morning, my priorities are prayer, reading the Bible, and exercise. When I do these, my day goes well. But sometimes I remember that I sent someone a message the previous day. I think I will just check WhatsApp to see if they replied. Before I realize it, one or two hours are gone, and I have skipped what mattered most. The day starts without the right foundation.

Finishing requires knowing what comes first.

# Derive Your Strength From God

Second, we must derive our strength from God.

Many of the things God calls us to do cannot be done by human strength alone. David says,

He trains my hands for battle. - Psalm 18:34

David faced Saul, the Philistines, and Goliath. These were not victories achieved by talent alone. They required God’s strength.

Paul says

I can do all this through him who gives me strength. - Philippians 4:13

Paul endured imprisonment, hunger, beatings, and suffering, yet he finished his race because his strength came from Christ.

Paul also reminds us that the cross is both the power and the wisdom of God. We need to depend on the cross, meditate on the cross, and draw strength from it. If we depend only on ourselves or on people, we will eventually lose heart. Jesus warns us not to be consumed by worldly concerns, but to focus on God’s kingdom.

# Don't Run Alone

Third, we must not run alone.

Ecclesiastes 4:9–10 says,

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up.

This does not only mean that someone helps you when you fall. It also means you must be there when the other person falls. Christian life is mutual.

Today’s culture celebrates independence and self-sufficiency. But throughout the Bible, and especially in the New Testament, we never see people walking alone. Jesus chose disciples. Even in Gethsemane, when his soul was overwhelmed with sorrow, he asked Peter and John to stay with him and pray for an hour, as we see in Matthew 26:38.

Almost every miracle Jesus performed involved his disciples. When he sent them out, he sent them two by two, as Mark 6:7 tells us. Paul always had companions. Christian living was never designed to be a one-man job or a one-man show.

We need people who will walk with us. It is best when that happens within the church, but at least we must have a Christian friend who will stand with us.

Encouragement does not only mean comfort. Biblical encouragement also includes challenge. Proverbs 27:6 says,

Wounds from a friend can be trusted.

Sometimes encouragement means hearing something we do not want to hear, but need to hear. When God sent prophets to kings, it was not always to praise them. Often it was to warn, correct, and realign them. That is part of love.

We need friends who will help us stay in our race, not friends who simply tell us everything is fine even when we are drifting. And we must be willing to play that role for others as well.

When we know our priority, draw our strength from God, and walk with the right people, we are far more likely to stay on track and finish what God has entrusted to us. And when we finish, God is glorified.

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