Dark Past, Bright Future
Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God. Whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of you with joy, for you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you first heard it until now. And 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 1:3-6
There is a saying that as we grow, we change. While that is a very popular belief, I believe a better way to put it is that as we grow, we become more of who we really are. This perspective might be convicting for many people. For example, I used to enjoy playing video games. To put it in perspective, my family was the first on the block to have an Atari (before it was called the Atari 2600 😊). As I got older, there was a point where it just did not fascinate me anymore. Granted, that was almost 40 years later, but it did happen. However, my love for watching video game or seeing my grandchildren play still fascinates me and dare I even say brings a little bit of joy. Yet, much more fundamental parts of my personality such as how I cry at movies, which I have done since age six, have not changed. Yes, I just outed myself 😊
We all have things that are parts of the fabric making up who we are. There are natural tendencies we have that if someone acts a certain way, we will dependably react in a set way. However, no one wants to claim that if it is a destructive behavior. For example, what if we have a habit that we cannot control such as alcoholism. Yes, there are equally destructive addiction from drugs to pornography that can lead to damaged relationships and lives. When God enters a person’s life, we all want to believe that He can wipe it all away. While there are some amazing stories where some people made a change on Day one, the overwhelming majority are still fighting to overcome their past issues. Does this mean God failed? Of course not. But how does one deal with the fact that they are not a finished product. How do we find change when one of the most reliable predictors of a person’s future behavior is their past?
God is a transformative force, not an overnight sensation. One of the many difficult things we find ourselves fighting is our past. Sometimes, it is a transgression that we hold ourselves guilty of, or a persistent behavior that we are in a constant battle with. If this is you and almost all of us can relate to this, today’s verses are words that should provide comfort. Paul understands the task at hand, and he is on a mission from God (And no, not like Jake and Elwood Blues 😊), He speaks knowing how challenging it was for the Philippians that would hear his message, and as his message hinted, those who chose the journey of faith may not have come from a place of goodwill or typical Jewish nature. However, he acknowledged that they were a work in progress. I used to work in manufacturing, and there was raw material and the finished product. Everything in between was considered ‘work in process,’ and this is important to note because we too are, in Paul’s words not yet ‘finally finished.’ We indeed are growing in Christ, and that in itself should be exciting. But just as raw material requires extensive work to convert, our journey of faith requires pressures, challenges, and lots of work to become the ambassador of Christ that (and do not lose sight of this) He envisions. We may not know what that looks like, but we do know that we can continually grow in Him to be better. That is what Christ died for.
Having God in one’s life changes things. Paul lays out beautifully in Romans of the work in store for us saying, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” (Romans 12:2 NIV) We are not always privy to the plans God has for us, but we do have His word, which we can always rely on for guidance and wisdom. The saying goes, Rome was not built in a day, and neither are we. Let us trust the path of God believing that we can be something greater than we ourselves can see. What types of things are holding you from building a closer bond with Christ? What changes can you pray to God for? My prayer is we trust God to create a brighter future far different from our dark past. Amen.