You Are a Work in Progress
You ever look at a Christian brother or sister and think that God often must get their attention with “CHILD!” Have you ever judged another group as being those that He must quiet with, “CHILDREN PLEASE!” Is there that one sister, that when you see her coming your patience gets out of the room leaving you stewing captively? Or maybe the new brother, having been saved a day short of a month, wants to give you his latest revelation on how the church misses it in an area?
How about those outside the church? In your daily interactions with neighbors and co-workers, do you look at people through the eyes of Saul or Paul? Do you just see more numbers on your convert cards, or more building material for the Kingdom? Do you see others as the pharisee in Luke 18? With a haughty eye of judgment and comparison, and consider their background, or present circumstances? Or through the eyes of Jesus, not willing that any should perish. (2 Peter 3:9)
Now how about yourself? Do you judge yourself with the same measure as others? Do you think more highly of yourself than you ought? Are you Saul and think that you are as close to godliness as it gets? In tradition, so close minded to any new revelation or move of God, or a wet blanket to the Spirits purifying work in the Church. (John 8:33,39,41) Or as Paul and admit that you have not arrived at Christ-like perfection. (Philippians 3:12-14)
Have you ever felt as if you are spiritually paralyzed? Are there times when you feel as if you are not making any progress in your spiritual growth? Do you feel as if your walk with God is like a child holding a parent’s hand as the rush from store to store through a mall. Have you ever thought or maybe even said, “Well God saved me, but I don’t think I will ever be of any use to Him.” It is in these times that you remember that God will not give up on you! When you are tempted to give up, if your shortcomings are causing you to become discouraged, remind yourself that it is not your job, it is not your responsibility. Man’s religion will pressure and coerce you into fitting yourself into their mold. God will work in you to fit you into His fold.
The truth is that God has begun a good work in you and He will continue to teach, develop, and perfect you to bring His purpose for your life to a completion at the day of Jesus’ return. Every Christian alive on the earth today is a work in progress and should be looked at as under construction, or better yet, under transformation.
Philippians 1:6 NLT
And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue His work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.
Trust His Process
The good work that God will do in us does not begin with 12 steps or a syllabus, it begins with faith. When God calls us into His plan for our lives, He often does not give us the whole flight plan, but a way point. For Abram it was leave, for Moses it was go back, and for Paul it was what he would suffer. God interrupted their lives with uncertainty, discomfort, and disorder. God called them to trust Him. Just as God worked in these three, He will work the same in us. It will not be by our wisdom or strength. We will have to rely on Him. But we do have a part to play. We must submit to and allow the Holy Spirit to work into our lives the willingness and the doing of what pleases God. (Philippians 2:13)
When we trust in God to do the work, it will not matter that we do not have all the answers. Abram left not knowing where he was going. Paul went to the Corinthians weak and scared. And since the beginning of the Church age many have followed the Lord, not asking questions but being fully committed to doing just what He asks them to do.
Before closing I want to share what I learned from experience of the process.
God’s process of conforming us to the image of Christ and perfecting the call and plan He has for our lives will take time, it will last a lifetime! It will start with a seed, not instant maturity. We live in a microwave world. God works in us with a crockpot. Just as parents treasure the stages of growth in their children, our Father places immense value on the spiritual growth of His children as much as the fulfillment. Whether an infant that has walked with God for a couple of years, or an adolescent that has walked for fifty years it takes time, it requires a process.
It is not a one process plan for all. God knows each of His children and just what we need and when we need it. His process is perfectly designed for each of us. We should guard against comparing ourselves to others. Our only comparison should be in, are our desires aligning with His. Are we surrendering our will to His?
Do not quit! Spiritual growth or maturity is in small consistent steps, not leaps and bounds. It often means that we will repeat lessons, stay faithful when results are not at once seen, and we become comfortable in the preparation times. Stay strong in faith when adversities come to you. (Prov. 24:10)
It is time for the Body of Christ to rise up. If we want to be used by God and see His power demonstrated in mighty ways, we must be willing and obedient. He has magnificent work for us to do. As we step out following Him, we will not meet anything that can stop us because there is no power in this world that can stop the power that is in us.