The Comfort of Knowing God's Not Done with You

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 ~Paul, Philippians 1:6

Ever have those moments in your life when you feel broken? You see your own sinfulness and you get discouraged. You look at you life circumstances and despair. You feel hopeless and wonder if things will ever change. I have. I still do sometimes.

When I was in college, I struggled with depression and hopelessness. I thought that I would never change. I wondered often if God was there, if he cared about my hurts and troubles. At times, I wondered if I was even saved.

It was no accident that one day in chapel our speaker spoke on Philippians 1:6. His point was simple: "God's not finished with you yet." Since then, that's been one of my favorite verses of Scripture. I think of it often. I've memorized it and, in those times when I am feeling down, will quote it to myself. In essence, I am preaching to myself to not despair, but to have hope in the God who has worked, is working, and will not stop working.

He Began It
A few weeks ago, I posted about how God is committed to our good. In it, I spoke of how God has planned for us to become like Christ. He knows our sin. He knows our inability. And he sent his Son to die for us. He caused us to become Christians.

The work that is happening in us is wholly owing to God, not to ourselves.

He Will Finish It
God does not abandon his work. He didn't stop creating after day 2. He didn't only half-raise Jesus from the dead. He didn't stop giving us his love or his Spirit. And he won't abandon us either. God ALWAYS finishes what he started.

How does God's promise to you give you the strength to keep on going even when you feel like giving up?