Work in Progress

It’s been twenty years this month since I made the decision to follow Jesus.  At eleven years old, I had a basic understanding of who Jesus Christ is and what He accomplished for me on the cross.  But it wasn’t until several years later that I really started digging into what the Christian life looks like.  One major lesson that I have learned is that sanctification, the process of becoming more like Jesus, is a lifelong process.  Still, there are times when I get frustrated with myself for not being further along in my walk with the Lord.  I’m not sure about you, but it feels like just when I think I've made progress in an area like, oh, say, trusting God with my finances – that He will provide and I don’t have to stress about money – an HVAC replacement and unexpected car repairs within a three week span open my eyes to how much room I still have to grow.  Yesterday I dropped my car off for my yearly inspection and a routine oil change.  When the mechanic called a couple of hours later saying that my lower control arm bushing (what?!) was completely torn through and needed to be replaced for a mere $330, suddenly, I was in a bad mood.  I was rude to my parents on the phone when they were just trying to reassure me that these things happen and reminding me that, after all, my car is twelve years old.  I was a little shorter than I probably should have been with a couple of coworkers who were texting and calling with questions about camp.  When I finally took a deep breath and observed that this whole thing had completely set off my mood, I realized that maybe I hadn't quite surrendered this piece of my life over to the Lord after all.

            Paul wrote about this process of becoming more like Christ to the church in Thessalonica: “Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.  He who calls you is faithful; He will surely do it” (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24).  God has never given me any reason to doubt that He is at work in me, but still, I get impatient with my progress sometimes, forgetting that it is only through the Holy Spirit working in me and not through my own efforts that I become more like Jesus.  Jesus even challenges us in Luke 12:25 when He asks, “And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?”  Maybe your natural propensity is not towards worry, but for me, I need these constant reminders from the Lord that He’s got me covered.  Thankfully, He loves to remind me that I am His child (1 John 3:1), that He chose me and adopted me into His family (Ephesians 1:5), and that “He who began a good work in [me] will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6).