being confident of this very thing, that he who began a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:6 WEB

It was late Saturday night, and we were both exhausted. We were working on a networked accounting system that was bloated and slow. A simple upgrade job that should have taken a couple of hours on Friday had now taken a couple of days. Still, we chose to honor the price we had initially quoted them. That is one of the perks of being self-employed. As the night wore on, it was just us, God, and a lot of hard work. They soon left us the keys to the office and went home.

Sometimes keeping your word and doing the right thing hurts. That job cost us twice as much as we planned and took five times as long to complete, but we did it because it was the right thing to do. We are to do unto others as we would have them do unto us. I find it sleazy when someone quotes you a price and then doubles it later. It happens too often.

We once hired a plumber whose ad read, "$75 for unclogged drains!" When he found out we were a ministry, he was happy to tell us about Jesus and the date he gave his life to the Lord. Then he charged us $450 and left without fixing the drain. What a man sows, he shall also reap.

He who is faithful in very little is faithful also in much. He who is dishonest in very little will also be dishonest with much. Therefore, if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust in the true riches? If you have not been faithful in that which is another's, who will give you that which is your own? Luke 16:10-12 WEB.

You can measure someone's character by what it takes for them to bail out of a commitment. Make your decisions intentionally. Say what you mean and mean what you say. Our God is not flippant in His judgments and does not waver. Jesus endured the cross for the joy set before Him (Hebrews 12:2). Sometimes, we must endure.

God, who began a good work in you, will see it through to the end. Even when the cost is double, when it takes twice as long as planned, when things didn't turn out as expected, when it is just you, God, and a lot of hard work: He will still complete the job.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I thank You for all You do for me. Please give me the grace to complete the things I promised others. Help me grow in character and always honor my word. Help me reflect Your presence on this earth in a positive way. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen!

Note: Ladies, today is Thankful Thursday at the "Ladies in Distress" group (our RHM women's group)! You are welcome to join in our weekly sharing of thankfulness for the Lord's presence and any blessings you may have experienced, big or small! "Ladies in Distress" is a private group, so if you have any problems joining, just post anywhere and we will help you :). Here is the link: Ladies in Distress

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