A Good Work

being confident of this very thing, that HE who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:6

This particular verse has resonated throughout my life after I came to an understanding of what it means to be a Christian. Many times the Lord has had to remind me, HE will complete what HE started in me. And still after some 30 years of walking with Him, I still need this reminder on a daily basis.

My Tuesday morning Women's Bible Study has been going through the book of Nehemiah for the past couple of months. It has been revealing to me in many ways on what it means to be a leader or an example in my home and in my church as I have watched Nehemiah lead the people in rebuilding a wall to protect a city, a place that had been destroyed. Nehemiah had to literally start from the ground up to begin the rebuilding process.

Where do you start when you want to lead in your family, or in your church body or just out in the world? How do you even begin to build up something that has been destroyed or forgotten about?  How do you take your life and make it count for something more than just days on a calendar? 

Well it is good to start at the beginning and as you begin the book of Nehemiah you will realize Nehemiah began his work with prayer.  It all starts with prayer and a surrendering of your life to Him.  Nehemiah was saddened by what was going on in his homeland (Nehemiah 1) and the first thing he did was take his sadness's to the Lord. 

Being a leader in the life of another does not mean pushing yourself or your thoughts on others, it simply means living a life in front of them that they can look at and see the Lord at work.  Nehemiah did not step out to do the work on his own, it was God who led him in that direction.  It was God who opened the doors for him by allowing him to be released from his present duties in the king's palace to go to his people in Jerusalem.  Nehemiah laid his life down, gave it to the Lord and basically said, here I am, what can I do to serve, to help, to lead, to encourage, to build up?  Lord, what can I do?

I found myself this morning in Nehemiah 6, the wall had just been completed, and as I came to verse 16 this is what I read, "when all our enemies heard of it, and all the nations surrounding us saw it, they lost their confidence, for they recognized that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God".  The first verse that came to my mind as I was reading this verse was, Phil.1:6, being confident of this very thing, HE who began a good work in you will complete it until the day of Christ Jesus.  God began the work of the rebuilding of the wall and God saw it to completion.  And He chose a man who's heart was saddened by the devastation to lead in this building or rebuilding of the wall.  Nehemiah's heart was in the right place, Nehemiah knew he couldn't do that work on his own, he knew that the enemy would come in and try to destroy, tear down, or discourage him and he knew he needed God.

Do you know what you need to be a leader in your home, your church, your community?  Do you desire to see change in your family, your church, your community?  Do you face a daily lack of confidence to lead in the place God has put you?  We have an enemy that stands at the door of our heart telling us; we can't do it, we can't lead, we can't build our home up, we can't even live a life that is worthy.  The truth is, in our own flesh WE CAN'T, but GOD CAN!

If your desire is to lead in your family, those in your church or community.. then it starts with prayer and a right heart.  We can't lead anyone if our own hearts are not right.  We can't even be an example of HIM to others through our work or deeds without first committing it all to HIM.  Nehemiah wasn't out to impress others, or make a name for himself in the world. He simply wanted to serve and be useful.  That is my heart most of the time.  I just want to serve my family, I want to be useful, I want my days to count and I want those around me to see HIM at work, not me.  But the truth is, I let the enemy come in at times and tell me things like; "you can't do this", "you are not a leader", "who do you think you are?".  Then God comes in and gently reminds me through His Word...
"being confident of this very thing, HE who began a good work in you will complete it until the day of Christ Jesus".

He will complete the work He started in me, I just need to be confident, I need to trust, I need to surrender it all to Him on a daily basis.  When the wall was completed in Nehemiah 6 it says the enemies lost their confidence, for they recognized the work had been accomplished with God!  He doesn't start a work and leave it unfinished, HE completes it!  So let's be confident in our God to help us in our leading in our family, our church home and our community and to complete the work HE has started. 

Greater is He who is in me, than he who is in the world,
Gina

Me with my three oldest grandchildren. 
Thank you Lord, for the lives I have to love and lead, through You!