The Finisher

Today's reading: Philippians 1:1-26

'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 ESV

An inability to finish has to be one of our most significant flaws as humans. We start a book, only to never make it past the second chapter. We get into a home project, only to run out of steam when it requires getting on a ladder. We resolve to read our Bibles and pray daily, then a week goes by, and we realize we haven't read a single word or prayed a single prayer.

God isn't just a starter; he's also a finisher. Yet the way he finishes is a little different from the way we usually think of checking something off of our list. He sees what he is doing in us as a process. The Bible calls this sanctification (see 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5).

C.H. Spurgeon, writing about this verse, put it this way:

"Granted an immutable God, we may be sure that grace will complete what grace begins."

God is committed to our growth, and he will never grow tired of that work.