Guest Writer: Adam Jacobus
He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion...
It was a beautiful sunny August day in 1993, and I was driving down the highway on the course of starting a new chapter in my life. I pulled off the 2 lane road to a little roadside park, got out of my car, sat down at a picnic table and had a conversation with God. It went something along the lines of committing the coming year at Bible College to following Him and giving the following years of my life towards serving God in whatever capacity he would have for me. Fast forward to the fall of 2023, and my wife and I would buy a home and move back to WI, not far from the little roadside park where I had that conversation with God. I still drive down the now 4 lane divided highway, trying to picture exactly where the now defunct roadside park would be, and I think about that conversation I had with God all those years ago.
Over the course of my life following Jesus, a verse that has grown in significance to me over the years is Philippians 1:6
“Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
To me, having been a Christ follower since a young age, and now living at an older age, this verse is best suited living in hindsight. Being able to look back at the decades of my faith journey has allowed me to see where God has “started a good work” in my life. I can see the pivotal points in my journey through the different stages of my life. I remember all the many people who influenced me – teachers, youth leaders, camp counselors, friends, roommates, family members. All of those who helped shape my faith and walked alongside of me. I can look at significant events in my life, both good and bad, that helped me become who I am today.
In looking back that this journey, the roads that have twisted and turned, risen and fallen, been on cruise control, or fretting of the tank running dry, I am able to see God’s hand at work in my life in all these things. Then, I am able to turn and look ahead to the future. A future that is both uncertain and certain at the same time.
Confidence is a belief in one’s self over the application of a skill that has been practiced and rehearsed over and over again. Faith is a skill that confidence can be gained in, as you utilize it in life. When you practice your skill, and know what you can do with it, then you have a belief that you can apply that skill to the necessary tasks in the future.
So, as Paul tells the Philippians – Because of the faith that God developed in us, and has allowed us to practice in our life, we can look forward to the events in our life yet to come. We can step out in confidence, knowing that our faith will continue to grow and see us through until the promised day of being reunited with Christ.
My name is Adam Jacobus, I’ve been married to my best friend Adrienne for almost 28 years, and we recently migrated back home to the great state of Wisconsin after a 16 year journey. I make my living as a mercenary for hire; being a substitute teacher and bus driver for our local school, I serve as an EMT with an ambulance transport service, and on occasion I do handyman projects for customers.
