“No one has a problem with the first mile of a journey. Even an infant could do fine for a while. But it isn’t the start that matters. It’s the finish line.”
–Julien Smith
I finished “Fruitful Leadership” (or I think that’s the title of the devotional I wrote.) It’s a book about leading by the fruit of the Spirit. I sent it off to the editor and it came back in 4 parts this last week. I was so happy! Now onto the next part of getting it published…whatever that is. Well…I thought it was “onto the next part,” but now comes the part where I edit, add, delete and elaborate on the edited copy. WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATTTT? That means going through the whole book and revising what my editor thinks needs to be revised and I’m paying her for that. It looks like a huge job and makes me want to just lay down on the floor and have a temper tantrum.
My quiet time the next morning focused on the beginning of 2 Chronicles. I read from the Maxwell Leadership Bible–I know…I know you’re surprised, right? His commentary is titled “Leaders Need to Finish Well.” Four of the kings written about in Chronicles started their reigns really well. Their people benefited from their success and fame, but the kings let their good times go to their heads and their monarchy finishes were not so pretty.
Here are some reasons for their poor finishes:
1. They drifted away from their calling as spiritual leaders and their jobs became routine and ho-hum rather than executed with their original passion.
2. They overestimated their own personal importance and allowed themselves to become exceptions to the rules.
3. They grew blind to their weaknesses and refused accountability.
4. The kings did not raise up, train and empower great leaders to follow in their original values and passion. If we are to leave any lasting legacy, a successful passing of the leadership torch needs to be in place. They didn’t create a strategy to have the right people in the right place at the right time.
What does this have to do with my book? When I began the study of the Fruit of the Spirit and daily posted my thoughts on the private facebook page–I felt called to do it. I was very excited about it. I wrote when I didn’t feel like it because I felt such a passion for what I was learning. Really…what better fabulous leadership characteristics to model than those of the Spirit. Those traits are love, joy, peace, patience, kindess, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control. I felt God’s hand on my writing, as well.
I do the very best I know how, the very best I can,
and I mean to keep on doing so until the end.
Abraham Lincoln
Now I need to finish the book with excellence, because I have worked so hard on it already. I don’t want this revising to be something on my “to-do” list to routinely check off. I don’t want to drift away from my original calling and passion to turn out something less than my best. I want to look at finishing this book as a writing of worth, beauty, elegance and, hopefully, impact. Thinking about it this way gives me new resolve and excitement.
How’s your passion? Do you know what your blind spots are? Do you feel like your life has become ho-hum? Are your drifting from your calling? Let me help you with that so you can finish well!
Finishing well,
Jan McDonald
John Maxwell Team
PS Remind me that I wrote this if I start whining about my book revision.
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