Walking with Jesus — God Is Not Finished With You

Walking with Jesus — God Is Not Finished With You

“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.” — Philippians 1:6

There are days when it is much easier to see how far we still have to go than how far God has already brought us.

We notice the patience we still lack.

The temptation we still fight.

The habit we thought we had conquered but somehow found its way back.

The prayer we have prayed a hundred times.

The attitude that still needs changing.

And if we are not careful, we can become discouraged with ourselves.

We begin wondering, Shouldn’t I be farther along by now?

After all these years of following Christ, shouldn’t I be stronger? More patient? More disciplined? More forgiving? Shouldn’t some of these struggles be behind me?

Perhaps.

But Philippians 1:6 reminds us of something we desperately need to remember: the Christian life is a work in progress, and God is the One doing the work.

Paul did not say, “I am confident that you will eventually get your act together.”

He said he was confident that He who began a good work in you would carry it on to completion.

That changes everything.

Our confidence is not ultimately in our willpower, our discipline, our maturity, or our ability to never stumble again.

Our confidence is in God.

He started the work.

He is continuing the work.

And He has promised not to abandon the work.

That does not mean we become passive. Scripture never teaches us to sit back and say, “God will take care of everything, so I don’t have to change.”

Quite the opposite.

Because God is working in us, we respond to Him.

We repent when He convicts us.

We forgive when He reminds us how much we have been forgiven.

We apologize when pride would rather remain silent.

We choose the gentler answer when anger wants the last word.

We pray again when yesterday’s prayer seemed unanswered.

We get back up when we fall.

Sometimes spiritual growth is dramatic. God breaks a chain, changes a direction, closes a door, or transforms a life in ways everyone can see.

But much of the time, growth happens quietly.

It is the apology that comes a little sooner.

The argument you decide not to continue.

The temptation you walk away from.

The resentment you finally surrender.

The prayer you whisper instead of the angry words you were about to speak.

The moment you stop trying to control the situation and say, “Lord, I trust You.”

Those things may seem small, but they are evidence that God is still working.

We often want God to change us instantly.

God often chooses to change us faithfully.

Day after day.

Lesson after lesson.

Failure after failure.

Victory after victory.

Grace upon grace.

Think about where you were five years ago. Ten years ago. Perhaps even one year ago.

There are probably things that once consumed you that no longer control you.

There may be battles that once defeated you every time that you now recognize before they begin.

There may be people you once could not forgive whom you now pray for.

There may be storms that once would have crushed your faith that today drive you immediately to your knees.

You may not be where you want to be.

But by the grace of God, you are not where you used to be either.

And that matters.

The enemy loves to point at everything unfinished in our lives and whisper, “Look at you. Nothing has changed.”

But God says, in effect, “Look again.”

Look at the grace.

Look at the growth.

Look at the prayers you now pray.

Look at the things you no longer chase.

Look at the things you now recognize as sin.

Look at the compassion you did not once have.

Look at the hunger for God that was not there before.

Those are not reasons for pride.

They are reasons for gratitude.

Because every bit of genuine spiritual growth points back to the One who began the work.

There is another important truth in this verse: Paul says God will continue His work “until the day of Christ Jesus.”

In other words, God is not finished with us in this life.

As long as we are here, there will still be something to learn, something to surrender, something to confess, something to forgive, and some area in which we need to become more like Jesus.

That ought to keep all of us humble.

None of us has arrived.

The longtime believer still needs grace.

The pastor still needs grace.

The teacher still needs grace.

The person sitting quietly in the back pew still needs grace.

We are all works in progress in the hands of a patient God.

So today, do not become discouraged because God has not finished His work in you.

Be encouraged because He is still working.

And when you recognize an area that needs changing, do not run from Him in shame.

Run toward Him.

The same God who revealed the weakness is the God who will give you strength to confront it.

The same God who began the work has not walked away from it.

And He has not walked away from you.

Let us pray.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for beginning a good work in me and for refusing to give up on me when there is still so much that needs changing.

Help me not to become discouraged by how far I still have to go. Give me eyes to recognize the grace You have already shown and the work You are still doing in my life.

Where I need to repent, humble me.

Where I need to forgive, soften my heart.

Where I need patience, teach me to wait.

Where I have fallen, help me rise again.

Keep shaping me, correcting me, strengthening me, and drawing me closer to Jesus.

I trust You with the unfinished parts of my life, knowing that the work You began, You will faithfully continue.

In Jesus’ name,
Amen.