episode 21. M.C.H.I pt II

who do we follow? thelawdsway

Welcome to another M.C.H.I post where I wanted to discuss about the penultimate.

We're in the last quarter of 2025. So much has happened across the globe and so much may have happened personally in our individual lives. I pray that we will all continue to be kept safe, protected, guided, loved and at peace with what we have left to do, achieve, and complete within the remaining time of this year.

The penultimate- another word for the beginning to the end. I often used to associate the meaning of penultimate to stress. I think, when you get to the last stages of whatever you have been working towards, it's easy to overlook the hard work you have put in to feel a sense of proudness and instead you feel overwhelmed as time is 'nearly up' and it doesn't feel like you have done enough. I think such association to be your initial thought when you enter into a penultimate stage can be determined to derive from a lack of self-worth. I say this because of the fact that we can be quick to look at the flaws of a situation and how we are connected to such flaw rather than looking at the positives and what we have been able to become and achieve through such positive.

It will be easier said than done but my advice to you if you are an individual who immediately looks at the flaws of a situation is: don't.

Don't do it.

Don't spend long periods of time worrying about it.

Don't become overwhelmed by it.

Don't subject yourself to times of isolation because of it.

Don't do it.

When we enter the penultimate stages of an idea/goal/task, it can make you start to wonder: what's next? Having such wonder, especially when you genuinely don't have a next step planned can make you start having questions like 'who am I?' or 'what is my purpose?' and that can make you start questioning your worth.

Don't do it.

Don't wonder.

The penultimate is a time for you to reflect on how far you've come, congratulate yourself on staying consistent and have a time of rest before the countdown starts to the finish line, so to speak. It's a time to look at the positives made and learn from the negatives. It's a time to edit and add to your personal portfolio of the new skills, accomplishments, goals achieved- adding to your worth. It's not something that should be quickly looked over, enjoy every minute of it. As you live out your moment in it- check in yourself, make sure you're good. If there are any other areas left you feel you need to improve on, make a note of it to potentially be your next project.

You may feel behind in resting during these stages as others start to work on their next step- don't worry about what they are doing and focus on yourself. Live your life at a pace best suitable to you. What you have got going on should be your main focus, don't feed into other people's stereotypes of how far along you should be in your life plan. It's YOUR plan for a reason- it's not to be lived for third parties but lived through and for your own personal growth.

We have three months left to the end of 2025.

Make it your own. 

BIBLICAL REFERENCE

Hebrews 3:14 For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end.

During the penultimate stage of any life aspect, we may go through, it’s easy to become stressed and with that stress may come a lack of motivation, inconsistency and loss of drive to see the stage through to the end. This may be based on the worries that creeps up as you ponder on what’s next or the different worries that creeps up as you become uncertain if the time left is enough to achieve the goal. These notions of worry and stress should not be things that we allow our body to reside in. God gave us that drive, that motivation, that desire to be consistent when He showed us that goal in the first place. When coming to the end of the time spent on the goal, it is paramount that we keep the same energy that we came with it, during and right up to the very end so we can see said goal through. Worry and stress is a thing of the world as in God, we are able to cast our worries and stress to Him. So, why aren’t you? There’s no excuse. Anytime a feeling of worry or stress creeps in during the penultimate and final stages, seek God, lean on Him for strength, take time out to rest if need be and when you’re ready, continue in this stage with the equivalent and even higher level of motivation, drive and consistency that you started with in the first place.

Remember, Trust in the Lord, Love like the Lord and Walk with the Lord. TLW

who do we follow? thelawdsway