Pleasing God, Making Disciples of Jesus Christ

No Unfinished Projects

PHILIPPIANS 1:6 – And I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Christ Jesus.

THEME OF THE DAY. NO UNFINISHED PROJECTS. I feel quite confident my next statement is true of every single person reading today’s nugget. Yes, I know that is bold, but I do sense I am right on with this. Here goes, “Everyone has started some project or book leaving either or both unfinished.” Is it true? Are there projects around your house that started well, but just seem to slide to the backburner due to some higher priority moving it there? What about unread books? Any of those lying on a nightstand or stacked in a den that need to be picked up and finished? Unfinished business in life. It is just the way it is sometimes, but not with God.

In today’s scripture we find one of the most encouraging statements and promises a Christian will ever hear and embrace – what God starts, God finishes. Always. There is nothing unfinished with God. And that includes making us like His Son, the Lord Jesus. In writing to these Philippian believers, the Apostle Paul not only states the good work God started in them, but he does so with great confidence – “And I am sure of this.” We, too, may embrace this truth of God with confidence. He will finish in us what He started in us. As we consider this heart-warming truth, three areas of spiritual awareness should grow in our lives.

First, salvation is not an end to itself. It is the beginning of a process that will have an end with the end being glorification or likeness to the Lord Jesus. This is extremely important in the day-to-day living out of the Christian life. Every event, every circumstance, every situation, every relationship, every trial, and yes, even every sinful failure we allow, fall under the category of God at work in us (Romans 8:28). If we learn to live each day with our hearts and minds anchored on this scriptural reality, then we will grow in the grace, knowledge, and likeness of the Lord Jesus (2 Peter 3:18). Life will take on a different mindset when we see nothing just happens and is meaningless. Everything in the Christian life has one purpose; the work of God making us like His Son.

Next, the spiritual side of life is the most important side of life. God’s work is an eternal work. Due to our sinfulness, bent toward worldliness, and weakness of the flesh, it is easy to live on a horizontal plane. We have a tendency toward “spiritual amnesia” and forget the brevity of life and that what really matters in life is eternal and spiritual, not temporal and material. When we begin to see things from an eternal and spiritual perspective, then our responses to trials and suffering will be God-honoring. We will live by faith, seeing His hand at work, through everything to make us like Christ.

A final spiritual awareness developed within us when we begin to see God at work in all things to make us like His Son is the spirit of thanksgiving. Our hearts will soar in praise and thanksgiving for the patience, love, kindness, mercy, and faithfulness of God to finish what He started in us. And this more so as we see just how much we are not like Jesus, yet, God still does this work.

Unlike us, God has no unfinished projects or books. What He starts, He finishes. Praise His name for such amazing grace.

PRAYER: “Father, I praise You for working in me to make me like Your Son, even when I don’t recognize it.”

QUOTE: “God started a work in us that God will complete in us.”