You’re a Good Work (in Progress)

Posted by: Amanda Bridle, Graphic Designer and Brand Manager | Monday, January 12th, 2026 (12:00am)

He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.—Philippians 1:6

Are you ever frustrated with your own bad habits and sin patterns? Have you ever thought you finally had something under control, only to lapse once more?

I am firmly in middle age, and sometimes I can’t believe I am still circling around the same old sins: perfectionism, pride, a need for control, impatience, and a bad habit of interrupting. I like to think I’ve improved with age, but sometimes I am not sure that’s true!

Perfectionism in my teen years looked like hours of homework and studying, with the unreasonable expectation of knowing all the answers all the time. That carried on into my college years. When I added the job title Resident Advisor to my life, I almost buckled under the pressure and spent an entire semester of my senior year in tears. I wanted—no, expected—to be the best at my job and the best at all my classes. I simply couldn’t fathom doing a less-than-stellar job at anything (even down to the bulletin boards!). This meant I spent more time and energy on pretty much all aspects of my job, even though my coworkers were clearly fine with doing less.

In comparison to college, my working life felt a little easier but the sins of the leaders in my job and some of my clients left me disillusioned. By the grace of God (this is another blog post!) I landed in a job that I loved and thrived in for many years. But I felt the nudging of the Holy Spirit to quit completely and spend the next few years as a full-time at-home parent.

While that decision benefited my children, ultimately, I suspect God had ulterior motives of His own. Without my job and my work defining me, I really had to examine my identity. If I wasn’t known for my accomplishments, then who exactly was I? God challenged me to be secure in my identity as His child even without visible achievements applauded by the world.

A decade later, I think I can safely say perfectionism is much less of an issue for me than ever before. And that seems to have been the cue for the listening struggles to be brought to my attention! The fact I often interrupt and try to complete people’s sentences was gently shared by one of the people closest to me. I was immediately filled with shame. I couldn’t believe I was completely unaware of such a significant pattern that was negatively affecting those I love most. I was crushed by this revelation.

But what I am starting to see is that God, in His infinite wisdom, knows the pace at which we can learn, grow, and change. I think for most of us, that pace is much slower than we’d like. Perhaps now that I’ve matured in some areas, God can begin work in new areas of my life. It’s uncomfortable for me, but I can trust that my loving Father is still carrying on the good work He began in me. And that work will have me always growing and changing, so I can become more and more like Him in how I live and love.