Start Out Like You Can Hold Out

BY JEREMY ISAACS

When I was a kid, the start of school was such an exciting time. I always got one new pair of shoes and, of course, new school supplies. There was something about the new supplies that convinced me I was going to be a much better and more organized student that year. Honestly, I usually was, at least for a few weeks. I did all my homework, kept all my papers organized in the correct notebook, and my book bag was well maintained.

However, somewhere along the way, I would begin to revert back to my old patterns. My papers weren’t in the correct notebook, which meant I couldn’t always find them. My bag had crumpled papers, upside-down books and lunch leftovers alongside my homework. Even though my mom constantly reminded me to “start out like you can hold out,” I just struggled to sustain how I started.

As an adult, maybe you’ve seen this same pattern play out in things like dieting or budgeting. New habits and behaviors take a lot of work and discipline to replace who we’ve always been with who we want to be. Thankfully, the Bible gives us great hope in Philippians 1:6, when the apostle Paul said, “I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ.”

When we allow God to do his work in our lives, he doesn’t tire or wear down from the task at hand. As we are willing, he continues to shape and mold us into a reflection of his son, Jesus. Our habits can change, our thoughts can be renewed and our behavior can shift as the old “us” becomes a “new creation.”

As summer fades, school begins, the leaves change colors and the temperature cools, my prayer for you is to allow God to start a new work in you that he will see through in your life.

Jeremy Isaacs is the lead pastor of Generations Church in Canton. He and his wife, Corrie, have been married almost 20 years and have four teenagers.