(Part 1)
“I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy, for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, 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.”-Philippians 1:3-6
A couple of months ago we were battling some sinus & flue like symptoms at our house, which left my wife feeling disoriented. For two or three days she felt off balance and out of sorts. It took a couple of days for her to het her equilibrium back and find her footing. Anyone ever experience that?
This experience cannot only happen to us physically, but it can happen to us spiritually as well. We can become disoriented, off balance and out of sorts trying to live for Christ. This often occurs because we are not focused on what will keep us centered on Christ.
If we are being honest with ourselves, we would admit that most of us do not live gospel-centered lives. Rather we live our lives centered around our jobs, kids, health or even church. At times, we narrow that focus even more and become fixated on things like sports, sex, drugs, alcohol, or music.
However, according to Hebrews 12:2 we are to “Fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
God’s desire is for us to find our footing and to live our lives worthy of the gospel of Jesus Christ. That begins with understanding 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.”
First, we must understand that the good work that God started is within you. He is working from the inside out. When we stop to consider Jesus’ mission, we conclude that He didn’t die on the cross to fix our circumstances, but rather to shape your disposition. He is always going to address the quality of your character before He focuses on your quality of life.
Secondly, God always finishes what He starts. This more than an observation, but a promise. Have you ever started a project that you didn’t finish? How many projects do you have sitting at home that still need completed?
We all have good intentions, but often suffer from poor follow through. However, unlike some of those projects sitting in your garage, God has promised to finish the work He started in us.
Scott Burr
Dayspring Community Church
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