Carry It on to Completion
By Michelle Lazurek
“…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
As an author of fourteen years, I'm no stranger to editors who make suggestions or changes to my manuscript. As this was my 14th book, I saw the second round of edits enter my inbox. But I didn't know what would await me when I opened that manuscript—many words in red dotted almost every paragraph. Suggestions for changes lined each page’s column. There was hardly a line or paragraph that did not contain some form of correction. Although I've learned to take criticism throughout my years as an author and know that editors have my best interest in mind, I’ll admit it still stung when I saw all the red marks and corrections. I must admit that not only was my ego a little bit bruised, but I also thought about throwing in the towel when it came to my writing profession.
But as I thought about God's calling on my life to become a writer, I realized it was a much bigger purpose than this. Writing wasn't about me; it was about proclaiming the gospel. Therefore, I can always make changes and improvements as a writer. I had to stop thinking about it as something to take personally but rather something that would make me better as a writer and a person. As someone who strives for excellence in her career, an editor does what she can to ensure my writing is as excellent as possible. When she made suggestions, it was not a personal sleight to my writing ability, but she asked for revisions for clarity so that every reader could grasp the paragraph’s point.
In the moments when I first saw that marked-up manuscript, it was easy for me to want to quit and do something else. I believed the lie that life should be easy, and when that second round of edits came, and it wasn't as easy as I thought, I was tempted to quit altogether. The above verse reminds us that if God is in it, he’ll be faithful in helping us accomplish it. This verse rang true in the weeks following the subsequent rounds of the edits to the manuscript. The first round of edits took a week to complete. The second round of edits took three days to complete. The third and fourth edits took about a day, and the fifth round took only a few hours. Whenever I attempted to address the questions and concerns raised throughout the manuscript, I repeated to myself that this would improve me as a writer. Putting it in that perspective helped me realize that this project was not about making it easy for me, but it was there to help others take a step in their spiritual growth. When I flipped my perspective, it made tackling every edited paragraph more bearable.
Is there an area in life with which you feel tempted to quit? Paul wrote this letter to the Philippian church after having gone through his own share of trials. Paul could attest that the Christian life was far from easy. He’d been jailed, persecuted, and beaten all because God had called him to proclaim the gospel message. Paul took on that challenge, knowing that it would not be easy, but he knew that in the end, it would all be worth it.
Just as I needed to flip my perspective from making my job as easy as possible to one that would make me better not only as a person but also as a writer, it is the same with us. Being a Christian is far from easy. Proclaiming the message God wants us to proclaim is not about being easy; it is about the ultimate result—bringing people closer to himself.
Father, bring whatever calling you have on our lives to completion. Life is not easy. We must yield our lives to God to proclaim the gospel to as many people as possible. Help us keep the proper perspective on life so we can complete your calling. Amen.
Intersecting Faith & Life:
What does God want to carry onto completion in your life? What is your perspective on this area of your life?
Further Reading:
Romans 8:28
Photo Credit: Unsplash/Green Chameleon
Michelle S. Lazurek is a multi-genre award-winning author, speaker, pastor's wife, and mother. She is a literary agent for Wordwise Media Services and a certified writing coach. Her new children’s book Hall of Faith encourages kids to understand God can be trusted. When not working, she enjoys sipping a Starbucks latte, collecting 80s memorabilia, and spending time with her family and her crazy dog. For more info, please visit her website www.michellelazurek.
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