Read: 

Philippians 1:4-6 “In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

Think: 

Do you feel like you have disappointed Jesus? Maybe you feel like you have let down God. Perhaps your life is in a cycle of addiction or you are trapped in anxiety. Today you possibly could be feeling the burden of a failed marriage or past mistakes. When everything appears to be falling apart and we are convinced that we have frustrated God, grace intervenes and reminds us that the story isn't completed. Paul was in a prison cell, alone and feeling like things were not going as planned. He wrote, “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion.” 

What God started at salvation, the regeneration, the fresh start, he will complete. We were created to be like Christ, but here's the best part. God will complete the work. We have been redeemed, and now we are in the process of becoming like Jesus. We are all in a construction zone; we are consistently being transformed. When he is at work in our lives, we may be more aware of our faults. We can equate failure with a lack of accomplishment and get discouraged, but it often is proof that we are in the middle of the course. Spiritual growth involves the Holy Spirit, our eagerness to evolve, and time. 

Apply: 

The same grace that began the good work will carry it through to the end. Today, God is at work. That should bring us peace and excite us toward transformation. 

Pray: 

Jesus, we trust you to do your work in our lives. Thank you that what you started, you will finish. I will rest on your promise. In Jesus’ name. Amen.