God is a Finisher
I may have binge-watched a few home improvement shows over the last few months. There is something stirring in me about process, building, and what is involved in tearing down the old to make room for something new. I have also done my fair share of projects. One small idea can turn into days of packing, purging, painting, and repurposing. Often we start a project expecting it to go quickly, and then as we sit in the paint fumes and dust, we try to look through the tarps prohibiting us from getting to the essentials that we have safely packed away. Hours of thoughtful planning and back-breaking labor begin to wear us down. We wonder, how could one small idea be so BIG?
I have learned that finishing isn’t always easy. I admit I don’t always finish a project 100%. There have been times I complete most of it, but then life gets in the way. Other times, I can check the box of completing the project but I finish with a loss of excitement. The time, effort, and money spent has stolen my passion.
Often in life, we find ourselves in similar situations. One small idea and yet months or years later we find ourselves STILL in the mess. The things we set out to change took too long or became too hard, and so we settle for living with unfinished versions of our dreams. We don’t mean to give up but there are moments when the pain of the labor intensifies, and weighing the cost we ask, Is it worth it? Do I really need to keep working through it? What would be a justifiable shortcut? Why am I doing this? Those questions and more flood our minds. From experience, I know they can stop the momentum.
In those moments we have a choice. We can stay there or take a step towards “more.” I hope we take the route that pushes through the weariness and pain so we can progress towards completion⸺ and ultimately victory. We are not made to only be starters. We can finish. We are created to wear the victor's crown! We are made in the image of God who completes what He starts. He doesn’t just finish halfway or finish and say, I could have done better. He finishes what He starts, and He finishes it well!
Philippians 1:6 says, “I am convinced and confident of this very thing, that HE who has begun a good work in you, will continue to perfect and complete it.” Another version tells us that God will, “faithfully continue the process of maturing you.” We have a good father who wants us to know that he is working and finishing. He is fashioning all the places so they will be made whole, complete, and mature.
What areas in your heart have started to stir? Has God started something? What places and spaces in your life, marriage, relationships, and circumstances feel like they are in the middle of the process? We might be at the beginning of the demolition stage or maybe construction has begun and drywall is being added. Whether the walls are getting painted or the design department has come in to add the candles and throw pillows, we must be aware that progress is being made. God is working on removing what is limiting and replacing it with what is superior. He is building us up! Let him remodel you from the inside. Let him remove, restructure, or re-assemble all the things. We can hold tightly to the promise that HE WILL COMPLETE what he has started. He is in the business of making us into a glorious space, one that reflects his goodness and majesty. So let Him do it! Don't remove yourself from his handiwork. Stay in him and be aware that every part of the process is important and necessary for our good. He is working all things out because He is the ultimate finisher!
