“So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.” (Galatians 6:9, NLT)
The title of this chapter might cause a little, “Oh, no!” moment…maybe like the feeling you get when you want ALL the laundry to be finished! Don’t let it. I will quickly get to the point. As I mentioned in the introduction, there simply are some things during our life that we should never be finished with. As you saw in the last chapter, we, as Christians want to finish well, whether it is a job we are doing or in our walk with Christ.
I will say, however, that there are a few things that we need to be diligent in continuing forward no matter where our walk in life takes us…so, in a sense – never finished. The main thing is in our growth in Christ. As long as we live, there will be room to grow, learn, move up, or progress. If we think we’ve “arrived” and are still on Earth, then know right then and there that there is more to learn based on those thoughts alone! I encourage you to be happy and content with where God has brought you already, but continue to seek Him and learn of Him confessing faults and failures as needed…never finishing your growth process until we meet Him in Heaven. Then, and only then, should that process be finished.
There is a push in the education field to be a “life-long learner.” I kind of like this label. For one, I love alliteration, but more importantly, I love what it means. We are never finished learning. When you really think a little deeper about this, you realize what a privilege if you actually have the ability to learn throughout your entire life. As youngsters, we may have dreaded school and the learning process, but if we have the capability and opportunity to learn and continue learning, we are privileged– blessed.
It’s the same way with our Christian walk. First, we are privileged to be adopted children of The One True King; and second, it is an honor to have a relationship with Him– commune with Him. For one of my classes, I wrote a research paper on the “Communication Theory of Identity.” That theory basically states that the more time you spend communicating with someone, the more you become like them. Therefore, your identity is formed in part by the communication between the two of you. (Littlejohn and Foss, 2011, p. 103). This is not a Christian theory in itself, but I love how God enables man to come up with theories, etc. that just basically reiterate what we find to be true in “Christiandom”.
The Bible tells us that if we draw near to God, He will draw near to us (see James 4:8). When we spend time in Bible reading, prayer and praise, focusing on Him and what He has done for us, and allow him to speak to us by making time to become quiet before Him, we are communicating with God. As a result, we become more like Him.
When I was younger, I focused my thoughts more on the dos and don’ts of how to live for Jesus. When my pastor told me to focus more on Christ than on being Christ-like, it really changed my view. This was several years ago, but somehow it clicked. Even without the knowledge of the “Communication Theory of Identity,” I knew that I needed to give that a try. So, the journey for me at that point took a little bit of a new focus. That new focus along with a more surrendered lifestyle has stirred a fire in me that I hope will never be extinguished…never finished!
Littlejohn, S. W., and Foss, K. A., (2011). Theories of Human Communication. Long Grove, IL: Waveland Press, Inc..
Simply Celebrate With Jackie 