Have you heard that Jesus is the author and perfecter of our faith? (Hebrews 12:2)
Perfecting anything requires time, effort, and testing. Just think about anything you’ve worked on perfecting in your life. It didn’t happen overnight, and it didn’t happen by accident. It was a process of intentionally working toward a goal and seeing incremental improvements over time. Blood, sweat, and tears were almost certainly involved.
Now consider that Jesus is investing that level of work in you. He is carefully, thoughtfully, and intentionally creating and working to perfect your faith. And He won’t stop until the job is done.
Those doubts you feel when times are hard. They are making you stronger.
Those setbacks that fill you with frustration. They teach you to persevere.
The grace you feel when you fail and run to Jesus in tears. That builds trust and reliance.
The joy that fills you when you face a trial and stand strong in faith and hope. That brings confidence for the future.
Every single circumstance is your life is turned into an opportunity for Jesus to make progress in building your faith. This is true even in the worst situations, the ones God didn’t plan but knew would happen. He turns even unthinkable events into faith-perfecting moments to show his power, love, grace, and mercy.
I love that Jesus is not just the author, but also the finisher of our faith. He didn’t simply create faith in us and leave us on our own to figure it out. He stays with us to ensure His masterpiece is finished and made perfect. He shed His blood, His sweat, and His tears on the cross and He continues His push our faith towards perfection today. He will continue building our faith tomorrow and into the future. His work was finished on the cross, but still continues in and through us.
If you are struggling with fear, doubt, or frustration, know that the struggle is not an indication of failure but of progress toward perfection. The Author is still writing your story, and one day you’ll see the beauty in the chaos.
May the trials we face spark greater faith in the Author of our lives.