A good work!
I look back over the 33 years that I’ve been alive and sometimes wonder if I have accomplished anything worthwhile that will last beyond my life. This is the moment when I can choose to fall into a depressive state feeling sorry for myself that I’m not running a corporation, running for office or running marathons, or I can make a conscious effort to shift my attitude towards the many things I have done and how I have shared millions of moments with people.
It’s so easy to keep our eyes focused on the past and the “unfinished product” of our lives. Comparing ourselves to others, especially on social media, casts discouragement and self-pity over our minds so that we feel helpless and hindered by all the “barriers” life has brought our way. We may even scream and cry, “It’s not fair!” with tantrums and pity parties that only dig a deeper pit for us to fall into. But, there is someone who has a different perspective for our lives.
When God beautifully designed you within your mother’s womb there was no question in His mind that your life had a purpose. Even though He lovingly gave you a free will to make your own decisions (and mistakes), God has never been surprised by the timeline of your life. All the joys, all the tears, all the mistakes, and all the victories were already known by His perfect mind before you were even conceived. Nothing shocks Him or takes Him by surprise.
King David was a man who faced numerous attacks from lions, bears, other kings and even his own children, but even in the midst of his trials and despairing moments he never forgot the comforting truth that a loving God was in control of his life: “You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered” (Psalm 139:16, 17 NLT).
I peered into the sky this week to watch the blood moon lunar eclipse that may only happen once in my lifetime and, though many people began speculating about the end of time or catastrophes coming, the historical moment reminded me that I serve and know a big God who is in charge of the moon, stars, planets and everything else included. If He is so big, why do I need to fear that His loving hand will not also orchestrate the tiniest details of my life?
So, the next time we get detoured by discouragement about how our lives will play out and how we will fulfill the great plans that we have, look up to the stars and remember that there is Someone much bigger in charge of every single detail of our lives. He wrote us into His story from the beginning of time and He will complete what He has started.
“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 1:6 NLT).
