Punta Gorda Seventh-day Adventist Church

Scripture:  So finish what you began to do. Then your willingness will be matched by what you accomplish 2 Corinthians 8:11 (GW)

Observation:  Readiness to will. A willing mind makes even a little acceptable, but to do less than one is able to do is a denial of willingness. A generous will is good in itself, but alone it is not enough. The will must be embodied in deeds, if our best desires and energies are to give solidity and strength to the character. It is good to cherish the ideal of charity, but the ideal must find practical expression. Faith and love, as ideals, never feed the hungry or clothe the naked (James 2:14–20). “Readiness,” then, is a spontaneous disposition and attitude of mind to serve God and one’s fellow men. It has no need of being urged or driven forward by the importunity of others. [The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, Volume 6. 1980 (F. D. Nichol, Ed.) (890). Review and Herald Publishing Association.]

Application:  The Formula 1 Grand Prix has very specific rules that must be adhered to beginning 30 minutes before the race can start.  For instance, drivers are free to complete a reconnaissance lap of the circuit before taking up their grid positions. If a driver wishes to complete additional reconnaissance laps he must pass through the pit lane each time in order to bypass the grid.  The pit lane closes 15 minutes prior to the formation lap. Any drivers still in the pit lane at this time will have to start the race from there. 

Ten minutes before the start the grid must be cleared except for team technical staff, race officials and drivers. With three minutes to go all cars must have their wheels fitted (any car not complying will receive a 10-second time penalty).  With a minute to go all cars must have their engines running. All personnel must then leave the grid at least 15 seconds before the green lights come on to signal the start of the formation lap.

All these rules, and several more, are there to ensure the safety of the drivers and their team, but also to ensure that the race will start correctly and fairly for all the participants.  Of course, even when everything goes just right, every race is different depending on the weather conditions, the pilots driving those powerful machines, the condition of each car, the team that changes the tires and fills the gas tank at every pit stop, and many other variables.  At the end, the team that works best will prove to be the winner.  The champion is not just the driver who crosses the line in first place, it is the entire team that helped him/her get there.

Marriage and family life is a team sport.  It is what we do together to ensure we are all winners which helps all to achieve the goals that we as a family set for ourselves.  Much research shows the advantages that married people have.  For instance, they tend to have a stronger economic status because they tend to save more and invest more toward the common goals they have.  Married people tend to enjoy better health because they are always looking after each other’s well-being.  It is not only how we begin this race we call family life that’s importance, but that we stay the course and go together to the finish line.  Keeping the end in mind will help us reach those goals together.  That’s why the Apostle Paul encourages us: So finish what you began to do. Then your willingness will be matched by what you accomplish 2 Corinthians 8:11 (GW)

A Prayer You May Say:  Father God, thank you for allowing us to have a family around us so that together we may reach the goals which will be best for all of us.  Help us to finish the race together, and receive the trophy of eternal life from Your hand.

Used by permission of Adventist Family Ministries, North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists.