New beginnings are celebrated and endings are expectantly awaited, but what do we do with the middle? In restlessness we try to hurry up time and skip through the moments in between; we overlook the purpose in of the middle.
When the newness of a beginning wears off and the excitement of the end feels distant, we feel stuck. Trials come and distress sinks in. Unforeseen obstacles, mountains to climb and rivers to cross loom and we doubt if an end will come. When the middle seems rough, we can find hope in God’s promises.
Romans 5:3-5 says, “3 We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. 4 And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. 5 And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.”
The middle is not void of purpose. It is the time where God develops us. When all we can do is just put one foot in front of the other, he’s building endurance. With God, the middle is more than just the space that strings the beginning to the end. The middle becomes an essential time of purposeful preparation.
To experience the fullness that God intends for it, we can’t treat it like a sprint. When we relinquish control of the pace and embrace the full length of the marathon, God can fully developed our character and strengthening the hope of our salvation.
Driven by the Word and the sheer love of Jesus, we can step on the other side of the finish line. In the hidden moments, in the forgotten spaces, God develops within us what it takes to complete our race. In His hands no hour goes to waste.
As you endure the middle, consider these questions:
1. Are you rushing through your middle or are you pursuing its purpose?
2. How are you handling the length of your middle? Joy? Anger?
3. As you wade through the middle, in what way is your character being developed?
With God’s leading, we all have the ability to walk through the middle. Today, may you house the perseverance to keep walking and discover the purpose of the moments in the middle.