Empowered To Finish
I first wrote this post for Good Friday last year.
However, this week I felt the same heaviness on my shoulders again.
Last Sunday I wrote about food. I love food, and I enjoyed writing that post along with the memories it stirred, moments shared over meals, and the flavors of different cultures I’ve experienced over the years.
Then Monday came, and something felt off.
Tuesday was no better.
By Wednesday, I dropped everything.
With no worry in the world, I went to bed feeling exhausted. I thought all I needed was rest, so I slept.
Then I had a dream, or at least I think it was.
In the dream, I was sleeping, and suddenly I woke up to strange sounds outside. I felt tempted to look out the window, but felt too tired to get up. Then the lights went out. I could hear voices outside, like men working to restore the power.
A moment later, the lights on the headboard turned on again.
And in that moment, I felt as though I was the one being powered again.
Because the truth is, I had been feeling like I wanted to quit.
I had been telling myself, “I’m so tired.”
And that’s something worth paying attention to, our thoughts and what we say to ourselves.
I found myself asking,
“Why am I even doing this?”
Then it came to me…
Apart from missing my break last week, I had also missed a vital part of who I am: Bible study.
I read the Bible on my own. I listen to pre-recorded messages. But I missed the group study.
Why Do I Love Bible Study?
Building a business or our lives can be hectic. However, during the busiest seasons of my life, I have remained connected to spiritual community.
I remember when I was doing my PhD in biochemistry. Even when the workload was overwhelming, I still showed up to small group Bible discussions.
Those evenings were special.
Engaging in deep conversations with intellectuals and Bible scholars made me come alive. I was present, fully immersed, completely engaged. For a moment, I forgot all the pressure and stress.
That joy—that fire—revealed something to me.
Maybe I was doing the wrong PhD.
Maybe I should have been studying theology and mental health instead.
But I also loved biochemistry.
We can love many things.
Do what you love. God can use anything—even the staff in your hand.
I thought about changing directions. But I had already come this far.
So I prayed.
And what I sensed clearly in my spirit was this:
Keep building.
My growth group encouraged me to finish, too.
And so I did.
Today, encouragement comes from another community, the Transform Thrive Grow group. Messages arrive at just the right time, sometimes before I even realize I need them.
And the message is still the same:
Continue. Don’t quit. Don’t grow weary in doing good.
What Happens Right Before The Breakthrough?
There is a pattern I have noticed in life.
Maybe you have seen it too.
Whenever we are close to the fulfillment of a dream, right on the edge of a breakthrough, the temptation to quit often becomes the strongest.
Suddenly, new ideas appear.
New dreams.
New directions.
And the work we are doing begins to feel too long, too hard, too heavy.
But we must be careful.
Not to take the bait.
Surrender, yes.
Take a break if needed.
But continue.
Some people do quit and seem to turn out fine. Perhaps that assignment was not theirs.
We should not compare our journey with someone else’s. Our focus must remain on God.
Sometimes a better question is this:
Am I making this decision based on my core values—or just my feelings?
What Does It Mean To Surrender?
Finishing something difficult requires surrender to the process.
Jesus modeled this perfectly.
One of His assignments was the cross. And even though He was fully God, He struggled in His humanity. We see this clearly in the Garden of Gethsemane:
“Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.”
Luke 22:42
Jesus was betrayed, arrested, denied, beaten, and crucified.
And still, He finished His assignment.
“Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit.”
Luke 23:46
That is what full surrender looks like.
What If Letting Go Is Real Growth?
In a world that trains us to control everything, to surrender feels uncomfortable.
Yet Jesus taught something different:
“Whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for Me will find it.”
Matthew 16:25
We often fight to hold on—to control outcomes, timelines, and circumstances.
But Jesus shows us that the real breakthrough often begins when we let go.
So the question becomes:
Is there something in our lives we are being asked to surrender?
What Happens After the Suffering?
When we think of Good Friday, we remember the betrayal, the pain, and the sacrifice.
But we also remember something else.
Sunday is coming.
Resurrection.
Life.
Victory.
Jesus endured because He knew joy was coming. Glory was ahead.
He finished because He surrendered to the process that led to the promise.
And perhaps that is the reminder many of us need right now.
We may be in the middle of the hard part of our assignment.
We may feel tired.
We may feel tempted to quit.
But the call remains the same:
Surrender—but continue.
Not because the journey is easy.
But because Jesus did it first, and we are called to follow Him.
Thank You, Jesus
Thank you for surrendering.
Thank you for showing us how to finish.
Thank you for reminding us that we are never alone.
Thank you for the promise of a full and satisfying life on the other side of surrender.
We receive it.
This too shall pass.
It is finished.
Sunday is here.
With love and growth,
Sanchia and Team
Reflection Questions
Are we living or do we desire to live a full and satisfying life?
What is something we may need to surrender so we can continue the assignment?
Share your thoughts in the comments. Your story may encourage someone else who is walking through a similar season.
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About the reviewer
Jacqueline Bacchus is a dedicated mother of four adult sons and proud grandmother to six grandchildren. Born in Kingston, Jamaica, and raised in the parish of St. Catherine. She pursued Early Childhood Education at University of the West Indies School of Continuing Studies and later received certification from NCTVET in Early Childhood Care and Development.
A believer for over 18 years, Jacqueline is the principal of an Early Childhood Centre in Jamaica and has worked in education for over three decades. Her passion lies in helping others strive toward their goals, and her work has been deeply shaped by the people and children she has encountered—teaching her humility and openness to growth.
Outside of her professional life, Jacqueline enjoys spending time with loved ones, listening to music, singing, going on nature walks, and watching movies.
Her life’s mission is to see her church, Reaching All God’s Children Ministries, fulfill its calling—to be a voice of hope, a hand of refuge, a heart of praise, and feet determined to reach every child of God. She lives by the personal philosophy: “Little is much when God is in it.” For her, every effort sown in love will never be in vain.