A good work in me
One of the most comforting scriptures for Christians that are serious about becoming more mature and developed is Phillipians 1:6: 鈥淏eing confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.鈥�
How many of us realize that we are not everything we should be? It蘑菇视频 easier to see what蘑菇视频 wrong, underdeveloped or sinful in others. But each of us has problems, issues, weaknesses that perhaps we don鈥檛 recognize or admit. So, 鈥淲hat needs worked on in me?鈥� would be the question.
This scripture gives us the spiritual big picture. We can break this down into components. Who is the he? God himself started something in you. And that something is a 鈥済ood work.鈥� So God started something in me and you that wasn鈥檛 there before. It may feel unpleasant to think that there was not a 鈥済ood work鈥� in me before God got started; however, if God is in it, and he says he is, then it has to be good. And now, I, you, we, have a good work in us that God is involved in.
鈥淏ut鈥�, someone would protest, 鈥淚 have a lot of problems, struggles and failures.鈥滻鈥檓 not going to sugarcoat this, because some people蘑菇视频 issues are deeply dramatic and troublesome. The point is that what I struggle with, you don鈥檛, and what you struggle with, another Christian doesn鈥檛. Yet God is working in us a good work to mitigate, cover and ultimately get us past what is not good in us.
Be assured, no Christian ever 鈥渁rrives.鈥� But go back to the first point of this passage, 鈥渂eing confident of this.鈥� God wants us to have the faith in him about the Spirit of Christ in us. You are not alone in trying to get whole or spiritually clean. You are not alone! Don鈥檛 think about giving up because God isn鈥檛. He loves you and wants to bring you to a place of faith and acceptance.
That doesn鈥檛 mean that we don鈥檛 have wounds, scars, cringe worthy thoughts, regrets and sometimes tears because of what we have been through, things we have done, lost or caused. It means that there is someone working on your behalf, inside of you, that will bring you to a greater faith. Knowing and believing that no matter what I have done, or am going through, that God is with me, and will bring me through it stronger and more mature.
I may have to apologize, I may lose some things along the way, it may take a real amount of time, but at some point, I will get through this with God蘑菇视频 help. That蘑菇视频 the kind of confidence about the good work in me that he has started and wants me to have.
Our faith must be based on what God is doing and capable of, relying on his grace, love and work. Obviously we must be joined into this, partnering with God. We must hope and pray. There is nothing wrong about praying for you. Pray for this good work in you. This good work in us is not complete. God is 鈥渃arrying it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.鈥� Since that day has not arrived for those of us alive, we can adequately say that the good work in us is incomplete.
Some of us are more incomplete than others, or more incomplete in some areas, but each of us needs continual internal effort applied by God throughout this life. God is not done with me or you.
So be encouraged in the fact that no matter what is going on around you or inside of you that God is at work like the potter and clay, shaping you into something useful and unique. Your co-operation of faith is needed.
So when all the imbalance, dysfunction and problems come at you like a flood, say to yourself, 鈥淢y God isn鈥檛 done with me, I am still under construction, he is still building me up, he refuses to stop working on me, and I am thankful for a Good Work in me.鈥�
Amen!