DAY 33 — The Pearl: God Is Working in Me
DAY 33 — The Pearl: God Is Working in Me
“For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.” — Philippians 2:13 (NKJV)
Promise to Believe
God is not standing at a distance waiting for me to change myself. He is already working within me, shaping my desires and giving me the ability to become what He has called me to be.
God Is Working in Me
There are times when I look at an area of my life that still needs to change and wonder why it is taking so long. Maybe you have done that too. We can see where we want to be, recognize where we are, and become frustrated by the distance between the two.
But Philippians 2:13 gives me tremendous hope because it reminds me that I am not working alone. In fact, before I ever began trying to change, God was already working within me.
Paul says that God works in us both “to will and to do.” In other words, He works in our desires and in our actions. He does not merely tell us what we should become and then leave us alone to figure out how to get there. The Holy Spirit begins changing what we want, and then He gives us grace to walk out those new desires.
Sometimes we overlook the work God is doing because we are only looking for dramatic changes. But perhaps one of the greatest evidences that God is working in us is that things which once did not bother us now bother us. We begin noticing attitudes we once ignored. We become uncomfortable with words we once spoke without thinking. We begin wanting to forgive when we once wanted revenge, wanting peace when we once enjoyed the argument, and wanting Jesus more than things that once consumed our attention.
Where did those new desires come from?
God is working in us.
I have learned not to despise those moments when the Holy Spirit puts His finger on something in my life. My first reaction can be disappointment with myself, but I am learning to see it differently. If the Holy Spirit is revealing something, it means He loves me too much to leave me there. His correction is not rejection; it is evidence that He is still working.
That changes the way we respond to conviction. Instead of hiding from God because we see something in ourselves that needs to change, we can run toward Him. We can say, “Father, thank You for showing me this. Now show me how to surrender it to You.”
We do not have to punish ourselves into transformation. Jesus already carried our punishment at the cross. Our Father lovingly corrects His children, and the Holy Spirit transforms us as we respond to His work within us.
This is where the exchanged life becomes so practical. Instead of saying, “I have to fix myself,” I can say, “Holy Spirit, I agree with what You are showing me. I surrender this area to You. Work in me what I cannot produce by myself.”
That is not weakness. That is dependence.
There is a big difference between willpower and willingness. Willpower says, “I am going to make myself change.” Willingness says, “Father, I am available. Change me.” One depends primarily upon my strength; the other opens my life to His.
Maybe we should quit “trying harder” and start trusting and depending more.
This does not remove our responsibility. If God tells me to apologize, I need to apologize. If He tells me to forgive, I need to release the offense. If He shows me a habit that needs to change, I need to cooperate with Him. Grace does not eliminate obedience; grace gives us the ability to obey from a heart that is being transformed.
The beautiful thing is that even our desire to change can be evidence of His work. Perhaps you are frustrated because you want to love people better, pray more consistently, control your words, overcome a weakness, or become more like Jesus. Instead of only being frustrated that you have not arrived, stop for a moment and recognize something wonderful: the desire itself may be evidence that God is stirring your heart.
You are still a pearl in progress.
Layer by layer, surrender by surrender, revelation by revelation, the Holy Spirit is forming something beautiful. Some changes happen suddenly, while others happen so gradually that we do not recognize them until we look back and realize we are not the person we used to be.
So today I do not want to spend my time condemning what is unfinished. I want to cooperate with the One who is doing the finishing.
When God reveals something, I will surrender it. When He gives direction, I will follow. When I fail, I will get back up instead of hiding in shame. And when I see growth, I will remember where the glory belongs.
God is working in me.
He is changing what I desire, teaching me how to surrender, giving me grace to obey, and increasingly expressing the life of Jesus through me. I may not be where I want to be yet, but thank God, I am not where I used to be.
And the best news is this: He is still working.
Prayer of Faith
Precious Heavenly Father, thank You that You have not left me alone to transform myself. You are working within me, changing my desires and giving me grace to walk out what You are producing in my heart.
Holy Spirit, help me recognize Your work instead of becoming discouraged by what is still unfinished. When You reveal an attitude, habit, thought, or area that needs to change, help me respond with surrender rather than condemnation.
I exchange self-effort for dependence, willpower for willingness, and frustration with myself for confidence in Your work within me. Keep forming the life of Jesus in me until what You are doing on the inside becomes increasingly visible on the outside.
I am a pearl in progress, and I am grateful that You are still working in me.
I am loved by You, precious Heavenly Father, filled with Your Holy Spirit, and alive in You, my precious Savior, Jesus Christ. In the powerful name of Jesus, amen.
