For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. 

                                                                                                   Philippians 1:6 

Today’s passage is a reminder that we can have complete confidence, as did Paul, that whatever work God has begun in us He will complete. But the reality seems to be that many in the church today are not enjoying a sense of accomplishment or satisfaction in kingdom work. I would argue that many in the church today do not even know what is their spiritual gift. As believers, every one of us has been given a gift or gifts that are designed to promote the gospel, to build up the church, and yes, to bring fulfillment into our lives. But there are a couple of traps that we can easily find ourselves falling into.

Often we fall into the trap of thinking that we have to be qualified to serve God. It is the argument that God only calls people that are talented, attractive, and have a good pedigree. While that is the world’s philosophy for success, the Bible declares just the opposite. We do not qualify ourselves rather God qualified us. We do not have to have any specific qualifications (as the world sees it) for us to be included in serving God. What we need to have is a willingness to serve and an unshakable faith in the One who is calling us. As long as we are operating in the strength of the Spirit, relying completely on Him, we will see success. The reason is simple. Living out our faith and using our gifts is not a matter of what we do for God rather it is the reality of what God is doing in and through us.

The second trap that we can fall into is the misguided notion that we can only continue serving God as long as we have a perfect track record. This is the argument that only those who live up to a certain standard of behavior can be included. In other words, if we fail (especially in the area of sin) then we, in essence, disqualify ourselves for service. I believe that we need to be very careful when considering such a thought. God is eternal. He knows our beginning from our end. When He calls us into service, he is quite aware of every step and misstep that we will make in our life. Consider the life of King David. Hand picked by God, overlooking all of his other brothers, to be the next King of Israel. Was God aware that David would have great spiritual successes in his life such as defeating Goliath? Of course He did! Was God aware that David would also fall into sin by committing adultery and murder in his lifetime? Of course He did! The point is that when God calls us, equips us, and qualifies us for service in the kingdom, He is already in possession of knowing about our entire life. Therefore, if it is God who qualifies us for service then it is God alone who possesses the ability to disqualify.

This is why Paul’s declaration is so important. If God has begun a work in us, He will perfect it. This word “perfect” comes from a compound Greek word that can be defined as “accomplish, execute, perfect, or complete.” Failure is not an option because God never fails. We will fail. We will attempt things that may or may not work. We might find ourselves struggling with temptation and the flesh. But through it all, God will complete what He has begun in us.

I can think of only one thing that would hinder us from experiencing God’s working in our lives. If we were to disqualify ourselves either believing that we are not talented or knowledgeable enough or that we have failed or sinned too often, then we might miss our calling. We have an enemy and he would like nothing more than to see us miss the opportunities that God has for us. So he will work to drive us toward these attitudes of self-disqualification. He might even use other people to drive home these misguided and false notions. But today’s passage is a reminder that when God calls, he qualifies. He will always equip us to accomplish what He desires. Knowing that God will complete His work in us, sometimes despite ourselves, is not just a comforting thought but also one that brings spiritual strength, creating an even stronger determination for us to run our race. Here’s to living a life of confidence in the ability of God to complete what He has begun in us!