God Finishes What He Starts
What do you do when you feel like you’re not growing, not moving forward, and maybe even standing still spiritually?
The Word: Philippians 1:6
Paul begins his letter to the Philippians with confidence: “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.” He’s not rolling the dice or crossing his fingers. He knows the God who started your story won’t leave it half-finished. We’re the ones who lose focus, get tired, or move on to something else before the paint is dry. But God never shelves a project. When He starts, He finishes. Always.
Notice that salvation is called a good work. It’s not your work; it’s His. From beginning to end, God is the one writing the story. He chose you before you could choose Him. He opened your eyes to see Jesus. He turned your heart toward home. He lit the spark of new life in you before you even realized it was dark. The credit belongs to Him.
But God doesn’t stop at the starting line. He sustains you in the middle of the race. The Christian life isn’t God dropping you off at the track with a “good luck, see you at the finish.” He runs beside you. When you stumble, He doesn’t shake His head and walk away. When you doubt, He pulls you close. When you feel too weak to keep going, He quietly supplies the strength you didn’t think you had. Every act of faith, every flicker of obedience, every moment you choose grace over guilt is evidence that He’s still at work in you.
This doesn’t mean you sit back and let autopilot take over. Scripture tells us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling because it’s God who works in us. You do the running, but He’s the breath in your lungs. You fight sin, but He’s the strength in your hands. You keep showing up, but He’s the reason you can.
Paul says this good work will be complete “at the day of Jesus Christ.” That’s the day when the mess finally makes sense. Every crack will be mended. Every tear will dry. Every weakness will be replaced with glory. You’ll stand before God whole, not because you finally got your act together, but because He kept His promise. God has never failed to finish what He begins, and He will not start with you.
This truth brings comfort because your security doesn’t rest on your grip on God, but His grip on you. Your hand might slip, but His never lets go. It also brings confidence because the same power that raised Jesus is the power that’s still raising you. When the enemy whispers that you’re too far behind or not holy enough, Philippians 1:6 interrupts that lie with one word: completion. God is not frustrated with your pace. He’s committed to your progress. The God who began a good work in you will complete it, because He never quits what He starts.
Search Your Soul:
Where in your spiritual life do you feel most stuck or discouraged by slow progress?
How does knowing that God will complete the work He started in you change the way you see your failures and weaknesses?
What would it look like this week to trust God’s faithfulness more than your own record?
Take Heart: So what do you do when you feel like you’re not growing or moving forward? You keep trusting the One who never quits. Even when you can’t see the progress, He’s still working. Because your story isn’t finished yet.
