"Follow Through!"

I remember, in Hendersonville High School in 1960, the basketball coach shouting from the sidelines, "Follow through...you are not following through!" To "follow through" comes from a principle in athletics that says, what you do after an action or decision is just as important as the action or decision to begin with. I never forgot that and I found that, in business, anytime something is initiated then the "follow through" becomes just as critical to the project as the initiation. Without the proper "follow through" many undertakings in our lives are doomed to miserable failure.

Spiritually, the principle of following through is just as vital (James 1:21-27). We must understand that our baptism, while soooo important, is not the end of our salvation, but rather the beginning. So, let us think of some practical ways this principle of "follow through" can be applied in all aspects of our lives, and let's do that by asking some important questions.

Will you follow through by confessing Jesus as your Lord every day, by the life that you live (Hebrews 10:23)?

Will you follow through by remaining faithful to your spouse for as long as you both live (Matthew 19:6)?

Will you follow through by raising the children God has given you (to train and mold) in the discipline and instruction of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4)?

Will you follow through by teaching someone the gospel that was taught to you and resulted in your salvation (Romans 1:16)?

Will you follow through by giving back to God a rightful portion of that which He has so richly blessed you (2 Corinthians 9:6-7)?

Will you follow through by preparing yourself to be able to answer anyone who asks you a reason of your hope (1 Peter 3:15)?

Will you follow through by being a friend at all times and encouraging your brothers and sisters (Proverbs 17:17; Romans 12:15)?

Will you follow through by praying to God regularly (1 Thessalonians 5:17)?

Well...will you?