Philippians 1:6
There has never been the slightest doubt in my mind that the God who started this great work in you would keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish on the very day Christ Jesus appears.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
I’m reading Pastor Joel Osteen’s book, Become a Better You, and the passage I read this morning dealt with how we think of ourselves… our personal criticisms. He pointed out that (hopefully) we would never consider telling someone else, “You’re dumb… you’re fat… you are ugly… you’re worthless and a major disappointment…you don’t matter…” or making other unkind statements. Yet many of us look in the mirror every day and say these very same things – or a derivation of them – to ourselves. Osteen points out that, as Christians, this is just plain “stinkin’ thinkin’!"
God sees every fault and flaw we have… but He sees the “good work begun in us”… He sees our potential. God is not mad at us or disappointed by our failures when He knows that we are continually trying to do better. Is this a license to sin? That was the question posed to Osteen, who answered by saying that we can all sin any time we please. The difference is that those of us who are striving to serve God to the best of our ability should not have any desire to sin. The temptations are still there… the frustrations and opportunities for misbehaving still exist… but our desires and focus have changed. And as long as we center our lives on God and keep “pressing toward the mark” of serving Him in all things, we will be able to manage our temptations and beat back the lure of sin.
So the next time you start to get down on yourself… or someone else… ask a very simple question… “Am I doing my best and pressing toward the mark? Is this person I am so upset with or critical of trying to the best of his/her ability?” When someone is giving his/her best effort, God is please and blesses that effort. And if God is satisfied with the work being done, we surely have no room to complain!
You may not be where you want to be – or even where you ought to be this day. But if you are focused on God and giving Him your very best, the “good work” continues… and a “better you” is in production! This is a reason to praise God and give Him thanks! Has God begun a good work in your life today? Have you taken time to be grateful?
©2012 Debbie Robus
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