God Chose Clarence and You
It’s About the Journey
Scripture Reading: 2 Peter 1:5-8
Key Verse: Philippians 3:12 NLT
I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me.
I’m using scenes from the classic movie, “It’s a Wonderful Life” to illustrate ways in which God works in us. In the movie, Clarence is an angel that has not been able to earn his wings. It is evident that he is not the brightest or the most talented of the angels. Yet, because of his simple faith, God used him to help George out of a terrible situation.
The Apostle Paul is transparent in our scripture for today: “I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved things or that I have already reached perfection” (Philippians 3:12 NLT). In other words, Paul is a “work in progress.” That is the way we must look at ourselves. We need to see this life with Christ as a journey; and it’s all about the journey. We grow and learn from our failures, recognizing it is all part of the journey. The evil one wants us to get stuck on one particular failure. He loves it when we start defining ourselves with the details of that failure. God wants us to learn from our failures; seek His forgiveness and move forward. It’s about the journey. God works so powerfully in and through our failures that they look like good things at given points in our life. As Romans 8:28 assures us, God works all things together for our good—that includes all our failures! God is not looking for bright stars to serve Him; He is looking for determined and faithful followers!
Father, I will not quit. I will not cave. I am moving forward in Jesus’ name, amen.