A Future Completed Work

Scripture Reading: 1 Thessalonians 3:13

No matter what your vocation or hobby or interests, we will all have tasks and projects to undertake. Most of us in the workplace are given assignments with deadlines. I am currently working on a marketing advertisement for a local Heating/Cooling owner and wonderful saint of the Lord. I have been given a deadline and am trying to complete it beforehand.

Many times though we get hindered or do not complete the projects given us. To complete a project we must put continual effort into it. Sometimes we have trouble getting started and we give up. Sometimes we get discouraged at the end when it does not turn out right. However, many experts agree that the crucial barrier in any project completion is about the mid point. Half way through is when we get the most hindered. At first we had great enthusiasm, but that quickly wears off when we start getting into the hardships and obstacles. At this point it seems that the end is so far off and the beginning didn't seem like that long ago.

The Heavenly Father on the other hand does not see us as we see our earthly projects. He sees us as the completed task and is willing to put the constant effort into us to bring us up to the finished product. There are perhaps better Scripture references for this topic such as Philippians 1:6, but the phrase in this 1 Thessalonians passage seems to fit, "to the end may He establish your heart." God has a desire for you and me. This desire does not wane and He fully intends to complete it with no lack of zeal.

Here are three areas to consider our lives as works in progress.

1. The Father knows that ongoing progress is necessary over immediate completion.
Many people wonder, "if God is omnipotent and really interested in perfecting me, why does He not go ahead and take me to Heaven?" If God did this, then we would have no effective service in the world. God put us in this world to be His representatives. The task is by far awesome to think of, but is no less unimportant. If we were completed works living in the world, we would not be an effective witness either. Suppose we were walking perfection incarnate, who would be attainable to us? Even though we are saved, we are still in the flesh. I think God allows us to be weak so we can relate to weak people. To the Christian's detriment, we have purported ourselves to be exclusively holy, which in reality we have the holiness of God, but not in this body. Thus we have alienated ourselves from the unsaved world. The world fears being shamed if they walk into a "sacred church." They see the looks of self righteousness they get from redeemed folks, who, are not totally perfected in this body themselves. We use the holiness of God upon us wrongly. We still sin, we are still weak, yet we are not condemned. In all this we can easily slip into living the perfected life in an imperfect body and an imperfect world. God knows that the more we are worked upon the better we will become. Just like a plaster or concrete mold that has been poured, it needs to age and cure to ensure better strength, rather than call it completed before its time.

2. We have Someone who does not tire in His work.
The resulting look of the craft, solely depends on the intent and energies of the Craftsman. A project that has been done hurriedly or haphazardly shows glaringly. If we half heatedly go about constructing or completing our tasks, we show ourselves to be the poor character and deportment as portrayed in our work. When God works on us He does so with His greatest skill applied. If we have a project that goes on for some time to complete, we tend some days to put our full resolve into it, on other days, we sort of slack off. God on the other hand, puts His full effort every day into us. His Character could do no less. His "arms" do not ache. His purpose in each of us does not inspire fatigue.

3. We have His attention and constant effort to show us His love.
Another area that would potentially cause a lack of continual work is that the project in the eyes of the creator has lost the interest it once held. Do you feel as if God has lost interest in you? Do you think that God has given up on you? I think we all have been there before. Some of us may be there now. The truth is according to the passage, that God has the desire to see each of us through because He loves us. In fact there is nothing to take away God's attention. No greater fancy or ambition keeps God's attention away from us. Suppose that God had a workshop, like a carpenter shop, (this is so relevant in knowing Him, it was a metaphor of His working with mankind as He did in the shop) and that He has a shelf. On this shelf were half completed projects such as clocks with no movements, picture frames with no channels cut, machines with only half the gears, etc. These projects sit on the shelf year after year with heavy layers of dust and spider webs growing over them. What does this image tell us? That God has put us aside in the pursuit of something better and that our lives are not as important enough to complete. In seeing this we could correctly surmise that the love of God has failed. Now this is how we can treat God, but it is never the way God treats us. If we are "set aside" for a season its not that He doesn't love us anymore, its because we are unwilling to be worked on. But God always has that heart for us and actively works on us for completion.

Let us be glad that God has not given up on us for any reason and that we will be part of a great rejoicing for what He has perfected in us. Not only His rejoicing, but our rejoicing at being finally completed.

Father thank You for your constant care and love for us. Thank You for all the work You put into us and are not willing to cast us aside. Help us to be workable in our daily lives. Help us to be gently taught by the instruction of Your Word. In your Name, Amen.

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