God's to-do list working toward an end

This the time of year when I start thinking more clearly about summer plans. So much of the summer has already been thought through, but the idea of long hot days, cold glasses of tea, barbecues, baseball and maybe the beach tend to run through my mind.

All the stress of Christmas has come and gone. The hustle of Easter is now a memory. My gorgeous accountant finished my taxes. (Good thing I married her 17 years ago.) And my kids can count how many weeks of school they have left on one hand. Everything is pointing to the lazy days of summer just around the bend. I really better get my honey-do list done.

Every single one of us has a to-do list. Whether is it something that is written out or composed in our heads, we each have a list of stuff we want to get done. Checking off one thing, or even better, checking off the whole list, creates such a feeling of success, achievement, pride and completion -- until the next list begins.

Like my to-do list that will end when I end living out the Christian faith, life is a long adventure. Philippians 1:6 says, " ... I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ." Completion, finished, accomplished. All words that move to an understanding that what was begun will move toward a finished end.

These words remind us that God is at work. He is the one who started the adventure of faith. He is the one walking alongside us through deep valleys and leading up steep mountains. By God's grace who I am today is not who I will be five or 50 years from now. God is the one who is at work within.

God is not just spinning up things, he is working toward an end. He doesn't mix things up just to see how they settle out. These words remind us that when he is at work in our lives He is at work for a reason. We may not see the reason. We may not until years later understand the reason. He works to bring things to a completion.

God is the only one who ever gets his to-do list done. I'm glad I'm on his list.

Rob Hurtgen is a husband, father, minister and writer. Read more from him at www.robhurtgen.wordpress.com.