People like you

Sometimes it’s easy to see the good stuff that God is doing in other people’s lives.

Maybe that preacher or writer or godly stalwart of the faith at church—we can see what God is doing there. But in us? In me?

We’re all-too-conscious of the ugly things we’ve shoved into one of our closets to think that God might be doing something significant in us.

But listen to Paul: And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:6).

Paul is writing to the Christians in Philippi, of course, but they were just like us: followers of Jesus who loved the Lord but struggled to live as they should.

I love Paul’s confidence: “I am sure of this.”

“I hope so”?

“I think so”?

No . . . Paul doesn’t seem to have any doubts that God will do big things in these Christians’ lives.

Why did he have this confidence?

Was it because they had some kind of spiritual aptitude that you don’t?

Had they attained some level of super-righteousness that is beyond our grasp?

Notice carefully what Paul says:

“he who began a good work in you . . .”

Paul knew the work would be finished because he wasn’t thinking about human ability or human self-discipline or human will.

“he who began a good work in you . . .”—Paul is looking squarely at Jesus.

He began it, and he’ll complete it.

Pause a moment and thank God. Thank him for what he began in you a few months, years, or decades ago.

Thank him for the assurance that he’s not going to drop the ball.

Thank him for using you—with your struggles and weaknesses—to do a “good work.”

God doesn’t just do good stuff in the Abrahams, Sarahs, Pauls, and Marys.

He’s doing them right now in ordinary people like you.—Chuck