The Incomplete Manuscript
“Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose” (Philippians 2: 12-13).
Years ago, I began writing a book, designed to help the fatherless, but for some reason two other books leaped in front of it. I’m not sure why, except that the timing of the book was not right.
Today, I am revisiting this manuscript, and feel an urgency to complete it. But as I edit some of the old chapters, I am realizing how much I’ve grown as a writer through years of practice. I see writing mistakes I made when I first started this project ten years ago, but now know better. Red mark after red mark, I am correcting glaring errors my eyes were not open to before.
This book project is not unlike our spiritual journey.
Look back to your life ten years ago.
How are you different now than you were then?
Are you more connected to the Bible? Have you seen changes in your character? Are the fruits of the spirit more evident in your life: love, joy, peace, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control?
When you journey back in your mind, do you see the work God has done in your life? If not, ask him to reveal it to you.
This is what Philippians 2 means by continuing to work out your salvation with fear and trembling. You are an incomplete manuscript, constantly being edited by God, so that your story will glorify him. Our part is to desire God’s work in our lives and to place our journey in his care.
Signing the rights to our life manuscript over to the Creator.
In the Philippians passage, Paul explains other by-products of working out our salvation. He asks the Philippians to “do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe.”
Blameless and pure, without a lot of red marks.
That’s what we should strive for.
Let’s face it. Our world is more crooked and depraved than ever before, so when we let God have editorial control over the pages of our life, his glory can’t help but shine through, because we will be vastly different from the culture. People will notice, the way they notice a brilliant array of stars in a crystal blue sky.
Do you want to be a best seller in God’s library, or do you want to be a book that gets stuffed in the drawer, because the plot isn’t compelling?
God wants to do a work in your life beyond anything you could imagine. All you have to do is hand the pen and paper to him. (LBW)