December 8

 Philippians 1:3-11

I thank my God every time I remember you, constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you, because of your sharing in the gospel from the first day until now. I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ. It is right for me to think this way about all of you, because you hold me in your heart, for all of you share in God’s grace with me, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. For God is my witness, how I long for all of you with the compassion of Christ Jesus. And this is my prayer, that your love may overflow more and more with knowledge and full insight to help you to determine what is best, so that in the day of Christ you may be pure and blameless, having produced the harvest of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God.

“He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion...”

Many people seem quick to take credit for their work, apparently believing they accomplished it all by themselves. But Paul reminds us to acknowledge the source of all good work.  Can you reflect for a moment on some good work in your life?  Are there others who inspired you or encouraged you along the way?  Maybe a teacher, or a friend you admire, or a colleague or mentor in your career, or an apparently random and unexpected idea,  a bolt out of the blue that got you started.  Maybe you didn’t see it at the time, but can you now see the hand of God beginning a good work in you?   And perhaps you can be the teacher, or friend, or mentor who encourages the good work in others around you.

“It is my prayer that your love may abound more and more.”

It seemed like just another Zoom webinar in which speakers were discussing challenges they’d faced in the workplace, until one woman revealed a male supervisor had once warned her she wouldn’t succeed in business because she was “too nice.”  In the Chat box someone typed “There is no such thing as too nice.” 

Lord God, you who began a good work in me, strengthen me to keep at it. Help me to see and encourage the good work you began in others, that love may abound more and more. Because there is no such thing as “too nice.

Chris Norton