"He's Still Workin' On Me"
Do you remember this children’s chorus?
He’s still workin’ on me,
to make me what I ought to be,
It took Him just a week to make the moon and the stars,
the sun and the earth and Jupiter and Mars.
How loving and patient He must be,
He’s still workin’ on me!
Isn’t it good to know God isn’t finished with us yet? None of us have arrived; we are still a work in progress. According to Philippians 1:6, we won’t be complete until---well, until the day of Christ Jesus.
“Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you
will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
As the saying goes, “I am not what I used to be, but I’m not where I want to be.” Let’s take a look at three common areas where God might continue doing a work in us.
Our Past Failures
Many people set out on a path to condemn themselves forever because of past failures. Often times, people compare themselves with the “Hall of Faith” people in the Bible. We believe if we haven’t done the great exploits they did, we are less valuable and do not have a significant role in God’s plan for our present age.
WAIT! Hold it a minute! Let’s look at the human side of the “hall of faith” people in the Bible.
- Jacob was a cheater
- Moses killed a man
- David had an affair and killed the woman’s husband
- Paul spent years murdering Christians
- Gideon was insecure
- Peter had a temper and denied Christ
- Martha was a worrier
- Thomas was a doubter
- Sara was impatient
- Rehab was a prostitute
- Samson liked prostitutes
None of those people were perfect. They were just ordinary people like us, but used by God for an extraordinary purpose.
I have often heard it said: God doesn’t call the qualified, He qualifies the CALLED! When Jesus called the 12 disciples, most of them were not even educated. Yet, Jesus equipped them and they turned the world upside down.
Self-Esteem
Allow me to briefly share my own personal story. Alone in my bedroom one cold, rainy night, I gazed into the mirror on the wall and uttered these words: “I don’t like you.” As I stood there, looking at my 40-year-old face, I admitted for the first time in my life that, not only did I not like myself, I had no idea who I was. My self-esteem? There wasn’t any in the mirror to be found.
But something clicked inside of me and I knew that I’d better find my way out of this maze. Thus, over the next few months, I traveled back down a muddy road that I had traveled for years trying to discover where I had lost my identity.
I soon discovered that my self-worth was not determined by my performance, others opinions of me, or even opinions I had erroneously formed about myself. You see, it was on the cross that Jesus Christ gave the only accurate measure of our significance when He considered every single person on earth worth dying for. He bought the whole world just to get a piece of the treasure – you and I.
Would you believe I now stand before the mirror in my bedroom and utter the words, “I like you!” Am I bragging on myself? Not at all! Heaven knows I have plenty of flaws, but along with those flaws, I now have a quite sense of knowing I have much value, and I’m worthy of being loved, respected, and accepted just the way I am, even though He is still working on me.
Age
From the young to the old, God has a plan He wants to work in us until we reach heaven’s doors. However, there are times we wrestle with the age factor, even in our younger years. But, age never seemed to both God. Take a look.
- Jeremiah was only 17 when God called him to be a prophet to the nation of Israel.
- Moses was 80 when he began his journey through the Wilderness with the Israelites.
Conclude:
Perhaps you have times of discouragement when your dreams seem to be on hold, or perhaps you feel they might not ever happen for one reason or another.
We, here at Created Woman, want to help empower and equip you in the work God has started in you, so you can live out your dreams and purposes until---well, until the day of Christ Jesus.