By
Susan Klein
“…He
who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of
Christ Jesus.”
Philippians
1:6
I’ve been making a
lot of homemade granola lately, ever since my daughter went away to college.
She isn’t fortunate enough to attend a school with a four-star dining facility,
so it has become a much-beloved staple in her diet. Making granola is
labor-intensive and time-consuming. There is constant stirring involved, both
in the preparation of the ingredients to make sure they are all moistened, then
during the baking process to ensure the granola toasts evenly. And using good,
wholesome ingredients is costly.
So why go to all the
trouble? Why not just go to the store and buy her a box of pre-made granola?
Making it brings no real benefits to me. It’s not exactly cheaper to make it. I
also don’t enjoy the mess in my kitchen, and it takes up a good portion of
time. So, why do I do it? Simple. Because I love her, and I know it’s to her
benefit.
Sanctification is
kind of like making granola. God could make us all cookie-cutter perfect
replicas that are simple to reproduce and not labor-intensive. But He chooses
not to. He fashions each person with unique qualities, characteristics, and
purpose. He spends our whole lifetime working on each one of us, dealing with
all the messiness of our lives while lovingly bringing us to completion, which
is: conforming us to the image of His perfect Son. It’s costly, laborious, and
very time-consuming. Why does He do it? Simple. He loves us, and He wants the
best for each of us. I’m sure it’s not enjoyable for Him when we resist His
stirring in our lives, but He does it nonetheless. And the cost…well let’s just
say He paid the ultimate price.
In John chapter
seventeen, Jesus is praying to the Father on behalf of the believers. He says,
“They are not of the world even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth;
Your word is truth. As you have sent me into the world, I have sent them into
the world. For them I sanctify Myself, that they too may be truly sanctified”
(v.17-18). Jesus was setting Himself apart for God’s sacred use, so that we
too, might also be set apart to be used by God. He would never ask anything of
us that He Himself was not willing to do.
Appreciate the
effort. Enjoy the process. Remember the cost.
GOING DEEPER:
1. Are you filling
your heart with God’s truth so that He might show you His purpose?
2. Spend time in
meditation and prayer over God’s love and faithfulness to you.
3. Read Romans
15:15-18, noting God’s active work. Thank Him.
FURTHER READING:
Susan is a We Women Bible Study Coordinator and one of
its teachers. She and her husband Mark enjoy tutoring and working with
inner-city youth.
