LEARNING DAILY

 

Philippians 1:6, being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.

 

I have heard others say, ”I am a work in progress”. There is no doubt this applies to me. It is not an excuse for bad behavior, bad thoughts, and the many times I walk too close to the edge of the narrow way. Would you agree that “life happens” far too often? I am talking about those times when the unexpected, the unplanned events, those unpleasant times happen and we do not know what caused them or for what purpose they happened. How do you react when someone close to you lets you down? I have had students and student athletes do things outside of school and athletics that has really disappointed me. Does anyone welcome these times? I don’t.

 

The struggles we go through make no sense at the time. But the process of becoming like Jesus Christ is just that – a process. Paul is making it very clear that from the day you accept Jesus Christ as your Savior, sanctification (the action or process of being freed from sin or purified) is a lifelong process. Your responsibility and my responsibility is to be faithful and seek to be more like Him every day. Matthew 5:6 is a verse I pray constantly for my family and friends, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.” My confidence is in the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit to get me through those times I disappoint myself because of my failure and when others disappoint me through their actions.

 

Here is the essence of what Paul is saying to you and me. God saved us through Jesus Christ, His son. That is His plan. Because of that, He will not leave us to sanctify ourselves by following some plan we devise. He has a plan to sanctify us and it is found in His Word. Romans 8:29-30 speaks to this, “For God knew His people in advance, and He chose them to be like His Son, so that His Son would be the firstborn, with many brothers and sisters. And having chosen them, He called them to come to Him. And He gave them right standing with Himself, and He promised them His glory” (new Living Translation). His plan is to make us into the image of His Son, Jesus Christ. That plan includes those difficult and unexpected times we face in life.

 

I certainly do not have many answers. But I believe that God desired you and me to be part of His family; we were intended to live eternity in His kingdom. Because He sent His Son to die for our sins, He will be with us through all the difficulties, hardships and disappointments we face in this life. Know that the Lord is working on the behalf of each of us as we do our best to walk on the narrow way to eternal life in His kingdom. This will continue until He takes us home or when He comes for His faithful Church. When that happens, we will be changed in the twinkling of an eye and be totally changed forever.  

 

Never forget that “God is working on your behalf, for our good, through it all”.  (Tony Dungy)