Friday, August 8, 2014

By: Rebecca Landry

A Work in Progress

Philippians 1:8 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.

 I have made a LOT of cakes. There are tons of steps involved in making specialty cakes, but the biggest difference between a mediocre cake and an amazing cake is TIME. I cannot start a cake the night before it is to be picked up and expect a beautiful result.

 Before I can put decorations on it, a cake has to be baked, cooled, leveled, filled, and iced multiple times. If I tried to ice a cake without letting it cool or leveling it, I would have a melted broken disaster. Some steps are spaced out by hours and even days to allow for the next step to be done correctly.

 To have a nice finished project, I often start on details nearly a week ahead of time ... before the cake is even baked. I have to allow time for letters and figures to dry enough to stand on their own and not get smashed by my fingers while handling them.

I continue working and tweaking things until I feel they are good enough to be placed on my creation. This process reminds me of the promise that God has given to each and every one of us. He promises that He's working in our lives --- constantly, continuously.

 We don't become a Christian and pop out of the "oven" looking like flawless masterpieces. You may just be a bowl of batter right now. A sloppy, goopy mess. But God's not done! He will begin working in your heart, sculpting something beautiful. What God has started in you, He is sure to finish. But it will take TIME.

 Where my cakes can take a week or more to complete, God takes a lifetime to finish His beautiful work. I challenge you to remember that growth and change is a process that can take your entire life, but as long as you allow Him to be your designer ... He will continue to work in you until you are pleasing to His eyes.

 Dear Lord, I thank You for what You have done and what You will continue to do in my life. Thank You for being my faithful Creator. I trust You to work in me until the day I meet You face to face.

I believe that You are Lord and that You died and rose from the grave so that I can have eternal life.

Reflection: Have you felt that you need to rush or skip steps to become "perfect" instead of allowing God the time needed to make the changes He desires for you?