Have you ever realized your own limitations, knowing what you wanted to do and realizing that your own shortcomings held you back? And that changing was not as easy as deciding to be different? Humility is not a meaningful concept for you until you get here. The apostle understood this when he said that the good that he would do he did not, and the evil he would not do he did. At this point he cried out for anyone who would deliver him from this situation. He knew where to turn and offered thanks for his deliverance. Do not be dismayed or discouraged to find that you are not complete and sufficient in yourself. This is the beginning of true understanding, and you also know where to turn.

If you had to hire someone for a position that was so important that everything depended on it, what would you use for selection criteria? Would you want the most focused, rational, capable person with good judgment you could find? What if someone applied for the position and said they had a dream and immediately did what the dream indicated, and then they had another dream, and did the same, and so on. Would you hire this person? I did. Consider the story of Joseph who was my surrogate father on earth. Who else would have chosen him for this role? My ways are higher than yours, and I confound the wisdom of the wise. I hired you too.

Do you see your spiritual life as a journey? This implies that you will not be in the same location you were yesterday. This is obvious when you are taking a conventional journey. Do you see that the same concept applies to a spiritual journey? This must involve letting go of something and leaving it behind. Are there aspects of your spiritual practices or belief structures that no longer serve you and have become burdens rather than blessings? If every time you attend church you only get reassurance that you were right all along, then you are not being given challenge for advancement, and it is time to move on.

Do you think I have completed the good work I have begun in you? No, but you have my  promise that I will. Have you ever looked back and realized that I was at work on problems that you didn’t realize you had? There are some things that you can only see in hindsight. Can you see the implications for your current state? Can you see by inference that you now have other issues that you will not be aware of until some future time when they are resolved? Can you also see that your effectiveness at self-improvement is limited if you are not even aware of the areas that need work? Do not be discouraged. I will complete the good work I have begun in you.