Beginnings and Endings get all the glory. Numerous articles have been written about the importance of taking the first step. We intuitively understand how important it is to move from thought to action. Endings also have their fan base. We encourage people to “Finish well!” The middle, though, is rarely talked about. The middle is the unsung hero. Beginnings can quickly become “false starts” and strong endings are never possible without faithfulness in the middle.

Middles test our mettle! We have coined the phrase “mid-life crisis” to describe that lost place so many people find themselves in the middle of life. The middle is hard because it is mundane.  The excitement that comes with getting started has dissipated.  The finish line is too far off to sustain us. Endless middle is all we see.

Faithfulness is tested in the middle. Faithfulness is the essence of character that continues pressing on when no one is looking and excitement has faded. Consider the following critical middle places of life:

• The middle of a career – Where weeks turn into years with little change or advancement.
• The middle of a marriage– When the honeymoon is long over, the kids are consuming, and familiarity risks breeding contempt.
• The middle of a life – When dreams fade, bodies falter, and we wonder, “What’s next?”
• The middle of faith– When the spiritual life feels dry and God seems distant.

Faithfulness is a quality of one’s character. The need for faithfulness extends from small challenges to large crises, from projects that require tenacious persistence to people who need inexhaustible grace. How can we grow the quality of character called faithfulness?

• Value faithfulness highly as a quality for which you want to be known– I don’t want to be the kind of person who only shows up when things are exciting. I want to be known as reliable, loyal, consistent, and faithful. I have learned that I cannot force success. Too many factors are out of my control. But I can be faithful. To me, faithfulness is success.
• Know that perseverance, which is a form of being faithful in the middle, builds character– Sometimes faithfulness in the middle is boring and plodding. Sometimes faithfulness in the middle is downright hard and painful. This is where perseverance comes in. Choosing to bear pain while remaining faithful builds character in hidden places that may not immediately be apparent.
• Learn daily joy in the middle– When we lose sight of the present because of too much focus toward an end goal, then we lose the joy that living each day offers. Faithfulness balances hope in the future with contentment for the gifts of today. This is not easy. It is a constant dance. Particularly when the grind of the middle seems to never end. The longer the middle lasts, the more we need to find our joy in the midst of the middle.

I love getting started on a new project and I get great satisfaction from closing out well on a challenge. But most days are lived in the middle. How will I be faithful in the middle?

Where do you most need to be faithful in the middle?