We are each God’s work, His masterpiece, but as Karlton reminds us, He is not done with us yet!
“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.” (Philippians 1:6)
God is not through with us yet. We may be broken, bent, scarred, diseased, weak, and have every sort of human flaw, yet we can be encouraged by the fact that God is not done with us. We may be disappointed in ourselves, we may fail to live up to our own expectations, yet God sees the finished product, He views us in the light of eternity.
Life brings us many frustrations and disappointments. There are times that I sigh in frustration over circumstances or events. We long for perfection in many areas, and yet never quite reach it. On the scales of life our ideas and desires never completely weigh up to our realities.
This is how life works. I think we can be optimistic, and yet hold fast to reality, and cushion our disappointments with common sense.
We may not get everything we want out of life, but my guess is that you have gotten many great blessings on this “journey of living.” I know that many undeserved blessings have come my way. Perhaps I should be less disappointed in the outcomes that have not appeared, and more grateful for the many unexpected blessings that have appeared.
The road of life throws many obstacles in our path. Frustrations can build up to the point of overflowing, and yet there are times, days, moments that occur when unexpected blessings unfold that leave me amazed. I’m sure you could say the same thing.
We are God’s unfinished business, and our lives may have an “unfinished” aspect to them, but the pieces of the puzzle are there, the light and dark moments, the colorful and dull pieces, the smooth and sharp-edged bits of the puzzle. Once everything is in place, the picture might surprise and amaze us. Let’s not give into discouragement or despair by looking only at the shadowy pieces, the incomplete puzzle on the table, this business of living is unfinished, the picture of who we will be is not complete.
Whatever you are facing this week, whatever hardships come your way, try not to lose focus on the unconditional love and blessings that flow from the Father. Remember, you are God’s work. Keep hold of the love and kindness of friends, family, and strangers.
We may not get everything we want out of life, we may not yet be everything we expect in this life, but we may get much more than we expect in ways we do not expect. And keep in mind that God is still at work in our lives, there is more to come, and what looks dark and gloomy today may be just a prelude to a brighter picture and better circumstances tomorrow.
Prayer: Dear Lord, the difficult days and disappointed expectations that come our way can leave us dismayed and discouraged, help us to remember that You are not finished with us and that Your work in us and in our lives continues. Amen.
About the Author:
Karlton Douglas lives in Ohio with his lovely wife. He depends very much upon God to continue working and completing his life.
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Do you sometimes feel disappointed by expectations of yourself or others? Does life leave you feeling short-changed? Have you considered that you are God’s work, and He is still working in your life–that you are as of yet unfinished?
In this video Martha Munizzi sings, “I Know The Plans.” It is a great reminder that God really does know each and every plan He has for us, even when we look at God’s work and it still seems incomplete so far.
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