Mind of Christ: Ep 14: Finishing Strong: The Mind of Christ in Action

0:12 Welcome to the Diary of a Black Woman podcast with your host, Connie Morris, where healing has a voice and truth is no longer silent. Father God, like Jabez, we cry out that thou would bless us indeed. Bless every woman listening beyond trauma, beyond limits, beyond what she thought was possible. Enlarge her territory. Expand her purpose. Let your hand be upon this moment. Saturate every word with oil and truth. break cycles, cancel every curse sent to silence her. This isn't just a podcast. This is holy ground. In Jesus' name, amen.

0:53 Hello, and welcome back to the Diary of a Black Woman podcast. I'm your host, Connie Morris, and we're on our final episode of The Mind of Christ. The title of this one is Finishing Strong. God wants us to finish strong. And I believe that you have got something from this episode, the mind of Christ. Wow. And I hope your faith has been built up so that you can walk with the mind of Christ and be all that God has caused you to be. Walking in his perfect peace, his humility, his wisdom, everything that he is, we are. That is why the space was created for your quiet moments, your workday, your commutes, and those in between places where your spirit needs to be refilled.

1:42 Faith on the go is for those times when you're fighting battles not yet won, but already finished in Christ. It's for the ones who keep believing, keep pressing, and keep walking, even when the road gets long and narrow. So wherever you are today, settle in and let the word of God strengthen your faith while you are on the go. Day 14. Finishing Strong, a Mind of Purpose in Action. Our key scripture is found in John 17, 4, and it reads, I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. Every step of Jesus' life pointed towards purpose.

2:25 From the carpenter's bench to Calvary's hill, he lived with one goal, to finish the Father's will. He was not driven by fame or fear, but by faithfulness. In his final prayer before the cross, he said, I have brought you the glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. And just before his last breath, he declared, it is finished. John 19.30 Those were not words of defeat. They were the sound of completion. Every prophecy fulfilled, every promise kept, every assignment accomplished. He didn't just start his mission, he finished it. Even when rejected, misunderstood, and betrayed, Jesus never lost focus.

3:09 He stayed on course because his purpose was anchored in obedience and not applause. The mind of Christ finishes what it starts. Purpose is not proven by how well you begin, but how faithfully you endure. Jesus endured the cross for the joy set before him. Hebrews 12, 2. He saw beyond pain to promise, beyond sorrow to salvation. God gives you purpose, not for perfection, but for perseverance. Every season of waiting, every test of patience, every act of surrender, shape your ability to finish well. Purpose will demand endurance, but endurance produces glory.

3:52 When your life aligns with God's will, even challenges become chapters in your completed story. You're not running for recognition. You're running for reward. 2 Timothy 4.7 tells us, I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I have kept the faith. I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I have kept the faith. He knew when his race was over. So that gives me great hope that we will know when our race is over. Until then, we have to keep on with the good fight. We have to keep on with our faith. Purpose gives your life focus, peace, and resilience. It reminds you that every delay still serves your destiny.

4:38 Like Jesus, you were sent on assignment and heaven celebrates every step you complete in faith. Ask yourself, have I grown weary in the middle of my assignment? Am I finishing what God started in me or am I distracted by what others think? That's powerful. Do I measure success by completion or comfort? Remember, the finish line is not a place. It's a posture. It's the mindset that says, whatever he started in me, he will complete, Philippians 1 said. Now, how did Jesus walk it out? We want to walk it out like Jesus. Number one, stay mission focused every day. Ask, Lord, what part of my assignment am I called to fulfill today? John 4, 34.

5:25 You know, every job comes with a job description, right? There's things you do every day because your job requires you to do that every day. Remember, you're on assignment from Jesus. You are on assignment from the Father. And that means that there's some tasks that has to be completed in this day. And so praying, Lord, what are my tasks for today? What is my part of my assignment and my call to fulfill? Number two, push through opposition. Jesus didn't let betrayal, criticism, or fatigue stop him. Press through pain with perseverance. Hebrews 12, 2 to 3. Isn't that powerful? Jesus didn't stop. Even though he knew his purpose on earth, that his time will come where he will have to die on the cross, he was in the garden. He was praying like, Lord, is there another way?

6:13 Like last minute shout out. Can you give me another way that we can still accomplish this? And then it must have been silent. And then he says, nevermind, your will be done. And he did it. He pressed through the pain with perseverance. That word perseverance is my favorite word because you pressing through despite how you field. You are going to finish the race regardless if you're crawling in to the finish line. But the title is that we finished strong. And so there's no crawling in here. We're running through that finish line just as strong as we have begun this race. Number three, celebrate progress, not perfection.

6:53 Every small victory counts. God measures faithfulness, not fame. I love that. He's not looking for you to be famous. He is looking to be famous. Let's not get that twisted, right? So God measures our faithfulness. Our faithfulness is being measured. When God measures, you know, he knows how to measure. He pulls out that plumb line. You're supposed to be here by now. And if you're not measuring up, guess what? Another test of your faith is coming so you can grow that faith. Faith is tested when we're tested, right? Trials test us. He doesn't give us trials, but he tests us. We are being tested. How much faith do you have? Is it enough to hold you through the next fight?

7:35 Number four, draw strength from prayer. Jesus often withdrew to regain focus. Your greatest clarity comes in quiet moments with God. Luke 5, 16. How powerful is that? We have to have a prayer time with God. Many, many of my devotionals, mostly all of them came through a prayer focus. He'll give me something to think about. I think about it. I said, whoa, this is good. The mind of Christ. I'm studying for this promotion. And I always pray, Lord, I want the mind of Christ. And he said, do you know what that means? I was like, you know, not really. And then boom, we got a devotional on it and we got a podcast. Why? Because it's so much powerful to just know, just to know that God is listening.

8:20 And for you to interrupt and say, do you know what that means? I said, no, it's something powerful. It's something powerful. Wow. So Jesus withdrew to regain focus. So remember, your greatest clarity comes in the quiet moments with God, in that stillness. And number five, finish with grace. Let your last act in every season, come on now, reflect gratitude, not grievance. 2nd Timothy 4, 7 through 8. You want to finish with grace. You know, grace, you want to like, show like don't let the enemy see you sweating. You want to finish with your head up tall, with your back straight. You want to look like you have finished the race, but you didn't finish it, defeated it.

9:06 You didn't barely make it, but you made it with room to spare. Let's pray. Father, thank you for giving me purpose and the strength to complete it. When I grow weary, remind me of Jesus who endured the cross and finished the mission. Help me to keep my eyes on the goal and my heart fixed on your glory. Teach me to walk faithfully, serve joyfully, and finish gracefully. Let my life be a testimony that I live for what mattered most to bring you glory. In Jesus' name, amen. Let me bring you glory, Lord, in all I do. Let's decree I have the mind of Christ. I finished what God started in me. I am steady in purpose, focused in faith, and resilient in grace.

9:48 The same power that raised Jesus from the grave empowers me to finish strong. How powerful. So I want to thank you for listening to Diary of Black Women podcast. With our Faith on the Go series, this is our final episode. I'm your host, Connie Morris. And I do pray that this word energizes your faith and reminds you of God's promise. His promise is that you will finish strong. Why? According to Isaiah 55, 11, it says, my word will not return void. If you're putting the word of God in you, that's your energy to get you through that finish line. If you're not, you better start getting in that word because that is going to have you finish strong because God's word does not return void.

10:39 Philippians 1.6, it says, he who began a good work will carry it onto completion until the day of Jesus Christ. So listen, you can't quit. You cannot quit. He said he will carry it, but he's going to need you to do some things, right? does he begin to work in you and it will carry it on to the completion. So remember, you are a work in progress. Don't you dare quit. Don't you run on the enemy's side because it's too hard. Then you're a loser. You're a loser. So don't be a loser. Be a winner. Be on Jesus' side because God will finish what he started in you. So keep believing.

11:19 Keep walking by faith and keep trusting in him. In Jesus' name, amen. And I'll see you with a new episode. I don't know what's coming, but it's been fun. Amen. Bye-bye. Thank you for listening to this episode. And before we close out, I want to speak a word of promise over you from Jeremiah 29, 11 through 14. Father God, you declared, I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. So today we receive that truth. You said when we call on you, you will listen. So we pray.

12:01 You said that when we seek you with our hearts, you will be found. So we pursue. You said you will restore us from captivity. So we declare freedom over every place where our listeners feel stuck, silenced, or small. Thank you for always drawing near when we show up in faith. In Jesus' name, amen.