There was nothing worse than coming home from school with a report card that displayed the word, “Incomplete.” An “F” was one thing but to my parents, an incomplete meant you didn’t even fail at what you started, you just gave up. To them, in order to fail something, you had to see it through to the end, but I just stopped doing the work. They demanded to know why I didn’t get assignments completed being that I had every opportunity to finish. All I had was excuses.
Lately I have been thinking about the things in my life that I left incomplete, and the reasons why I never finished. Once again I found myself coming up with excuses. I didn’t finish school because life happened. I haven’t finished my book because I am so busy with the kids. Finishing my training for running a 5K hasn’t happened because my body has been so tired. Excuse after excuse has left me with a bunch of in-completes.
I can’t say I failed at these things because in order to fail at something, you have to finish it and I have not finished. Maybe the fear of me failing is why I haven’t finished but that too is just another excuse.
I am tired of leaving things incomplete on my report card of life. I want some A’s to look at, even if they are only given for the effort I put into the things I finish. I do not want my kids, family, or friends to remember me for the in-completes in my life but more importantly, I don’t want my Heavenly Father to see my work undone. God has gifted me and in fact, He has gifted all of us with what we need to finish. God has given us faith, endurance, and strength to finish. 1 Corinthians 1:8 says, “He will also strengthen you to the end…” (CSB)
God has equipped us to be finishers! He provides us with the confidence that we can finish what we start, we just have to trust Him and stop making excuses. Philippians 1:6 reminds us that, “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (NIV)
Say goodbye to the in-completes in your life. Pick up your confidence in God and finish what you began. Stop making excuses and complete the things you started. Let your report card of life reflect your finishes and erase the in-completes.
Meet the Contributor
Deborah Woolard is a single mother of three from Raleigh, NC and she currently resides in Charlotte, NC. She is an ordained & licensed minister and she serves as the Youth Director at R5 Church. Her love for writing, especially poetry is one of the many ways God allows her to use her gifts for His glory. Her poetry can be viewed at https://m.facebook.com/gracefullydsignedbydeborah/.