Work on It

Steve Boots
1 day ago
2 min read

Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:6

After most of my boys’ basketball games, I try to talk with them about how they played. It’s not to criticize, but to help them grow. Driving with one of my sons the other day, I asked him to give me a couple things he was planning to work on the next time he has a few minutes in the gym. Though he is young, still learning the game, and has lots of room for improvement, he couldn’t come up with a single thing. That turned into a teaching moment. I explained to him that if you want to get better at anything, you should always have a short list in your mind. Things you already know need work. That way, when you end up with a few extra minutes—an empty gym, a free afternoon, a chance to practice—you’re ready. Improvement doesn’t happen by accident. It happens when preparation meets opportunity.

The same principle applies spiritually. Growth in our walk with God requires humility. It requires the willingness to admit that there are things in us that still need work. That is honesty, and honesty is where real spiritual growth begins. We often drift spiritually because we haven’t identified where we need to grow. We may attend church, read our Bible, and pray, yet never pause long enough to consider the specific areas God wants us to change right now. We should always be aware of the things in our lives that we know need improvement. It could be anger that flares too quickly, pride that resists correction, words spoken carelessly, a prayer life that is inconsistent, a heart that struggles with forgiveness, or any number of other human shortcomings. If we don’t acknowledge those areas, we won’t work on them. And if we don’t work on them, they won’t improve.

God’s Word reminds us in 2 Corinthians 13:5, “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith.” The truth is, God already knows where we need growth. He is imploring us to recognize it, too. Spiritual opportunities show up every day in temptations, in conversations, and in many other ways. When those moments come, will you be ready? Or will you realize too late that an opportunity passed because you never made a plan? Ask God to help you identify a few areas that need work. Write them down, and pray over them. When the opportunity comes – and it will – step into the moment prepared to grow. Spiritual maturity doesn’t come from knowing everything. It comes from being willing to keep working.