A Work in Progress

February 22, 2023

When my kids were little, they would bring pictures to me that they

had drawn and say, “What do you think of this, Daddy?” I would tell

them, “That’s perfect! It looks great.” When I told them it was perfect,

I didn’t mean that it was a Picasso. I loved what they had created

because it was perfect for that stage in their lives. 

God doesn’t wait until you’re mature for him to start loving you. He

doesn’t wait for you to clean up or straighten up to think you’re good

enough for his love. 

He knows how weak we are and welcomes us and receives us just as we are — because He loves us and wants to help us.

Think of it this way. When you are sick, does the doctor tell you he

won’t see you until you’re healed? No, of course not. Your doctor is

there to help you, and accepts you just as you are in order to diagnose

your problem and find the right treatment.

As Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick” (Luke 5:31).

“I am certain that God, who began the good work within

you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when

Christ Jesus returns.” Philippians 1:6 (NLT)

You are a work in progress. Your spiritual transformation—developing the character of Jesus—will take the rest of your life. 

“God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him” (Philippians 2:13 NLT, second edition).

It is the Holy Spirit’s job to produce Christlike character in you.

Becoming like Jesus is a process. It’s a lifelong process. We never

“arrive” to full spiritual maturity this side of Heaven. God is always

at work in us, and in others.

This is why we have to be patient with other people’s progress,

especially if we have been a Christian for a long time. We need to

celebrate how far people have come rather than judging them for how far

they still have to go.