Finding Joy in Being Late
This last Sunday, one of our pastors preached on the mission of God, through the means of the church, in the power of the Holy Spirit, from Philippians 1:3-11. In this introduction to the church in Philippi, Paul highlights the beauty of what God has done in their lives, how He is currently working in the present, and the eternal hope we find in the promise of future perfection and glory. But our pastor brought to mind one theme that really stood out to me, and I want to share my thoughts both generally as well as specifically to my family’s context.
Our pastor made the claim that we are always late when it comes to the work of the Holy Spirit in someone’s life. God is always stirring, convicting, mending, softening, quickening an individual’s heart, and when we come to them to love and share the hope of the gospel with them, we are called to find everlasting joy in the ways God has already been at work. This is how Paul opened his letter to the Philippians, that he finds great joy in the ways God has been transforming their hearts and he highlights from the beginning of His work to the very end on the day of completion. God was already opening eyes and mending souls before Paul ever got to the city of Philippi, and He chose to use the faithful preaching and teaching of the Gospel by Paul to bring many individuals to saving faith. Paul was late to the party.
In my family’s context, we are in the process of joining a new community group, the space provided by our church to grow deeper and more intimate relationships with other believers in the congregation, as well as reach our neighbors, coworkers, and any other non-believers we might come in contact with at various times. These groups can range from 10-15 individuals, all the way to 30 or 40, but the mission remains the same: come together in fellowship as Christians to build one another up in faith while also providing a context for outreach and mission to our city and its ever-changing culture. What does this have to do with being late to the work of the Holy Spirit? When we meet for the first time this weekend, we are gathering with 3 to 4 other families whom God has been shaping and molding and bringing them closer to the image of Christ every day, and that is cause for extreme joy and praise! We can come along one another and express great gratitude to the Lord for all the ways He is already at work in each individual’s lives, and we have the privilege to join His work for the purpose of encouraging one another in the fight while also bringing glory to Him.
So let us be in constant prayer, regularly thanking God for the ways He is working in our lives as well as those we know. And let us pray for opportunities to join what He is already doing in people’s lives, as we never know what God has been stirring in the hearts and minds of men and women. Praise be to God that we are always late to the miracle of salvation.
PJH
