Philippians 1:6  “… being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

I am sure you have seen the signs that say, “Under Construction” or “Work in Progress” along the highway. These are amazing metaphors for our life. In a very literal sense, each and every one of us is undergoing remodelling. We are all a work in progress.

There are moments when you could form the impression that your spiritual life is not making any headway.  When we become disheartened, fatigued, and overwhelmed, it is possible for us to think we are going nowhere.  If you have ever felt that way in the past or if you are feeling that way right now, you are certainly not alone.

I am reminded of the promise that is found in the verse above whenever I am experiencing such feelings, and it instils in me a sense of optimism and trust that God is not yet finished.

In the same way that He has not given up on me, He has not given up on you also! The above words of encouragement were written by Paul to the believers at Philippi, and they are meant for you and me today as well.

Our spiritual development would be in jeopardy if it were exclusively dependent on our own efforts.  What the Bible teaches us is that the same God who started His good work within us is also the same God who will continue that work until it is completed on the day that Jesus Christ returns!

So, the pressure is off us!  Having the knowledge that spiritual development is God’s business brings a sense of peace and confidence. He does the work in us that He may do a work through us.  It’s a process that will continue until it is finished on the day Christ Jesus returns.

That reminds me of a bumper sticker I saw one time that said, “Please be patient with me, God is not through with me yet!”  We are all under construction as God shapes us into the very image of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.  And God promises to finish the work He began.

When you are feeling of incomplete, undone, or uncomfortable as a result of your hurts, habits, and hang-ups, it is important to remember the promise that God made to continue the good work that He started in you when you put your faith in Jesus as your Saviour.  Even in situations in which you have the impression that you are not making any headway, God is still at work.  Just allow God to finish what He started, and delight in the fact that he takes responsibility for your growth.

Of course, we have a partnership with God. We have a role to play as well. We don’t sit back and let God do all the work. Whilst we affirm this is God’s building project from start to finish, His work is made easier when we toss Him a brick or two here and

there! There is so much that God wants to do in us and through us which will happen much sooner, if we join Him in that process.

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24   “May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.”