He's Still Working on Me!

     Three weeks ago we began a project to fix three rooms that had received water damage as a result of Hurricane Irma last year.  It is not a small thing to move three rooms of living space into the rest of your home.  We have dressers in the living room, a mattress in our study and too many boxes of our "stuff" filling up another bedroom.  This took us three or four days to accomplish so the contractor would have easy access to the rooms.
     Along the way, we began discarding items we had held onto for years and never used.  Fortunately, the church was having a rummage sale and we were able to put these items to good use.  It is amazing how much we accumulate.  This was a great time for a deep clean.  Of course, we have to put everything back in its place when the work is finished, but there will not be as much!
Certainly this whole process is messy and at times uncomfortable, but the same is true when God begins to work on us.
     Philippians 2:13 tells us "It is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for His good pleasure."  He is our contractor and master builder.  In His hands, He changes the desires of our heart, points out our weaknesses, binds up our wounds and sets us on a steady course to use our talents and gifts for Him.  It is a messy process, though, not unlike our construction project.
Sometimes, we do not want to let go of that habit or behavior that causes us or others to stumble.  Having a critical spirit, a sharp tongue to condemn others, being filled with self-pity and lack of contentment can clutter our lives and keep us from the joy we could have in Christ.
     In this letter to the Christians at Philippi, Paul pointed out that God is working in us on a daily basis.  We certainly struggle with any type of changes in life when we do it in our own strength, but with the power of the Holy Spirit living in our hearts, we can become that new creation in Christ.  It is a process however.  There are no "McInstant" Christians who will act perfectly in this life.  God will continue His work in us until we meet Him face to face.  Nevertheless, we still have our part in this process as well.
     Being immersed in His Word each day will lead to changing our minds so that we will think God's thoughts after Him.  It is a living Word that can carefully help discern the thoughts and intents of our heart and point out areas that need attention and repentance.
     Likewise, we need to be praying on a regular basis asking God to show us how we can walk by the Spirit and not get caught up in the circumstances of this world.  Our conversations with our Lord bring us into a closer relationship with Him so that we can hear Him more clearly as we read the Word.
     All of this has been made clear to me through a recent disagreement on a social media site I was visiting.  I made a statement that another party said was "unchristian".  How quickly the world judges us!  Yet, we can answer back that we are not perfect only Jesus is perfect and He is still working on us!  We just have to be open to the leading of His Holy Spirit.
     Yes, I will be happy when our construction work is finished and we can once again enjoy our own bedroom.  No more mess and no more clutter....unless we begin to hang on to things we do not need.
Lets be certain that in our spiritual walk with the Lord we release those things that hold us back from bringing glory and honor to the Lord.  By His grace, we were saved and by His grace, He is at work in us.  May He make us shining lights for His kingdom!  Selah!