The Process

I love having complete collections of movies, books, and video games, and it bothers me if I do not own the whole set. As a kid, I owned every small football helmet for every team in the NFL and college football, down to the specific conference. I also own every season of Everybody Loves Raymond and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. On top of that, I own every Marvel movie from Iron Man to Avengers: Endgame. (Hot take: Marvel fell off after that movie.)

Bottom line: I love it when things are complete.

However, something I have learned throughout my life is that so many things in this world are incomplete. Dreams feel incomplete. Relationships feel incomplete. Careers feel incomplete. We ourselves feel incomplete at times.

The Bible says in Philippians 1:6 that God will complete the good work He started in you. That tells me something important: God finishes what He starts. But while He is bringing things to completion, we still have to live in the middle of the process.

And honestly, the process can be frustrating.

We want the finished product now. We want the healed relationship, the accomplished goal, the spiritual growth, the body transformation, and the answered prayer immediately. But God often does His greatest work in the unfinished seasons of life.

Consider some examples of Biblical characters that God worked through a process.

• David was anointed king at 15, long before he actually became king at 30.
• Joseph had dreams at 17, but was thrown into a pit long before he reached the palace at 30.
• Abraham was promised descendants at 75 before he ever held Isaac at 100.
• The disciples followed Jesus for three years without fully understanding Him or His mission.

The Bible is full of stories just like these. We see God working through long processes, not just instant outcomes. That is why we were never meant to have the mentality of “I’ll be happy, successful, or have peace when everything is complete…”

Something I tell myself when I start slipping into this mentality is:

“This is significant.”

Showing up to work every day and giving it my best is significant. Having a positive attitude at home and with all those around me is significant. Keeping track of finances and sticking to a budget each month is significant. Choosing joy in the midst of chaos is significant.

You don’t have to be complete or be perfect to experience the peace and joy that Jesus provides. You can have it right now. Ephesians 2:4-5 says, “because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions, it is by grace you have been saved.”

So the next time the devil tries to make you feel anxious in the process, let the verse below be a banner for you.

“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.” (Philippians 1:6)

The Bigger Picture: Find joy in the process, not just the destination.