But no matter how successful I was at starting strong, once April and May roll around, it’s a whole different ball game. Students grow weary of the daily grind of class, homework, tests, etc. As the weather outside hints of summer break, it gets harder and harder to stay focused on academics inside the classroom. And that goes for teachers, too! As we inch toward the finish line of a school year, we feel the wear and tear of the school year slowly building. But if I attempt to coast in the last month or two of school, disaster threatens. If I loosen the reins and start letting things slide in my classroom, if I stop preparing for each day with detailed care, I will have a circus on my hands, and I’ll be the flailing ringmaster. I simply have to finish the school year strong. I have to show up, ready to go, every day right up until the very end. And then I can finish the year out with joy, excellence and satisfaction. 

Every single day you wake up with breath in your lungs, you have a chance to start strong and finish strong. If God gives you the gift of a new day, don’t you think you at least owe it to Him to start and finish with Him? This doesn’t need to be a huge ordeal, it can be simple and easy. But, as I heard a pastor once say, it’s hard to have a bad day that starts and ends with God. If your mind is on Him right when you wake up and right before you go to sleep, that can only be a good thing, right? 

FIRST THING:

Unfortunately for many of us, the first thing we do when we wake up each morning is grab our phones. This was definitely true for me. Even though I have a pretty solid morning routine that gets my mind centered on Jesus for the day ahead, I still used to spend 3-5 minutes first thing just checking my email and taking a quick scroll through social media to see if there was anything ‘important’ I missed overnight. 

Then, I decided to start a new habit—something super quick and simple. Before anything else, I just say good morning to the Holy Spirit, who I want to fill me and accompany me throughout the day. That’s it! That starts my day off thinking about God instead of the world. How did I train my mind to do this? Well, my phone plugs into the wall right next to my bed. So, I literally wrote the words, “Good morning, Holy Spirit!” on a post-it note, and I set that little paper on top of my phone each night when I turn it off before falling asleep. That way, when I reach for it after my early morning alarm sounds, I’ll feel that little piece of paper. When I do, I just say to myself, “Good morning, Holy Spirit! Let’s go on an adventure together today.” I’m doing my best to train my mind to think about God before anything else at the start of each day.

It can be that basic. And maybe it will look different for you. Do something that works for your personality and your morning routine. Just find a way to start strong.

LAST THING: 

Okay, I hate that I’m still talking about these darn phones, but just within the last couple months, I got so frustrated with myself for the endless social media scrolling I found myself doing right before bed. Unfortunately, there’s something that feels so therapeutic about settling into bed after a long day, and just scrolling through Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook or whatever for a few relaxing minutes before calling it a night. Do you relate? For me, I started noticing that I’d get to bed on time, and then all of a sudden 30 minutes would pass. Sometimes, even as I felt annoyed with myself for the fact that I’d just wasted 30 minutes of potential rest, I just couldn’t make myself put down the phone. Then, by the time I finally turned it off, plugged it in and set it on the floor by my bed (with my post-it note on top!), I’d end up going to sleep feeling disgusted and irritated—embarrassed with myself for my lack of self control and discipline.

So I finally made the decision to finish my day strong, just as I’d started it. No social media allowed after I’ve crawled into bed. Instead, I open my Bible app and read one verse or chapter, and then call it a night. This habit has helped me finish my day with Jesus. I’m able to drift off to sleep with peace and contentedness. And I’m able to get more sleep, too! I finish my day with strength and with Jesus. 

Setting strong habits into place can be a game changer. What are your habits first thing in the morning and last thing before you drift off to sleep at night? Are you starting and finishing strong? Your habits don’t have to look just like mine, of course. Maybe at the end of the day you watch a worship song or one of The Bible Project’s videos on YouTube before going to sleep. Or maybe you want to get a habit set into stone that’s complete phone-free. You could literally turn your phone OFF before getting into bed and have a quick chat with the Lord as you crawl under the covers and lay your head down on the pillow. 

Whatever you choose to do, I challenge you to get into the habit of starting and ending your day with God. Then, no matter what happens in between, you’ll be remembering and resting in His presence, goodness and faithfulness. This habit won’t guarantee that life will be perfect in between the start and finish, but it will simply help to keep your mind on Jesus. It will keep you thinking about Him in a world that tempts and entices us to think about so many other things. Choose to come out of the gates and cross the finish line with strength each day. You won’t regret it!

My soul yearns for you in the night; in the morning my spirit longs for you. -Isaiah 26:9a