“Glenn, after you speak we’ll put you over there at that table. I’m sure people will want you to autograph their copy of your book.” I am not much of an autograph collector, so I am surprised when people actually approach me at the end of a workshop or speaking event and say, “Would please sign your book, and make it out to my good friend Karen?”

Sure. I will do that. But I have no idea who Karen is. Or what words might encourage Karen.

A while back it occurred to me that it might be of value to write a Scripture reference next to my signature on the inside jacket of their book. But what Scripture would be appropriate? I remember thinking, “All the good ones have been taken!” Then I recalled that someone who had written a note to me when I was a young Christian had scrawled Philippians 1:6 at the end. I remember that I had opened my Bible and loved what I read there:

“Being confident of this, that he would began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Jesus Christ.”

What the world needs now is hope. And Paul wastes no time in his letter to the young church at Philippi in reminding them that God, who had begun the spiritual reconstruction of their lives, was never going to quit until he was done. Whatever God starts, he finishes. That includes us.

 - We may become discouraged.

 - We may become hurt and angry because of the decisions or actions that others carry out in Jesus’ name.

 - We may feel tired and old.

We may conclude, with a sigh, “Well, I guess this was the spiritual phase of my life; now it’s time to move on to something else.”

We may become bored with church.

Or we may simply move into a business-as-usual approach to checking in with God from time to time, but life is going pretty well right now, thank you.

But God will have none of that. He will never lose his vision for what he began in us. He will never shrug, “I guess I made a mistake with this one; he’s never going to get it.” He will never run out of time, energy, love, or passion to finish what he started in each one of our hearts: to transform us into the very image of his Son Jesus.

I definitely don’t sign that many autographs. But when I do, I always write Philippians 1:6 alongside. It’s such an encouragement for “Karen,” for you, and for me.