Photo by Nathan Cima on Unsplash
Philippians 1:6 → “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.”
There were five of us growing up which meant we had to wait patiently to take that standard first day of school picture with the homemade sign with my name and grade and other fun facts about me. My trouble was that I closed my eyes in way too many of these pictures. Still to this day, my family gets on to me when my eyes are closed in pictures.
Maybe I’m not alone out there – but squinting at what’s ahead can feel all too normal.
I thought about that when I was reflecting again on Philippians 1:6 this week. With another school year upon us, many of us feel like we're squinting with strained vision. A busy schedule, new routines, challenges at home, and unexpected difficulties. All of this and more may be waiting just around the corner, causing us to squint and wince as we look toward the fall.
Enter Philippians 1:6. What a verse! What a truth! Here we have something we can stare at and take comfort in. The God who began His good work in you will finish it.
Take heart that God is so sure that God is going to bring to completion what He has begun in you. He’s not only sure, He wants you to be sure.
How is He going to do that – boy oh boy – through all kinds of twists and turns personally, ups and downs at home, fits and starts at school, peaks and valleys at work. But hear this: You are also heading toward something more certain – the completion of what God has begun in you.
He will bring it to completion, at the day of Jesus Christ. That’s a day you won’t miss. And it’ll be better and sweeter than any new school picture a parent might take. It’ll be a day so bright and glorious that it will shine backwards and forwards on all that seems dark, dry, or in disarray in our lives.
However much you are squinting looking at the start of another school year and another August – you can open your eyes a little wider. Our God wants us to receive His grace and peace. A grace and peace that comes from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. A grace and peace we can experience afresh through the Holy Spirit.
So as you jump into the start of another fall semester, lean into that grace and peace as you work diligently, prioritize what’s important, adjust rhythms, and discern wisely how we ought to live with a God-centered determination and a gospel witness over these months.
Not many of us are nearing commencement ceremonies just yet, but until then – be encouraged and rejoice: God is carrying out in us what He began in us.
