Behind the Scenes

I love to watch behind-the-scenes footage, or “the making of” something. Especially when it comes to the making of a movie or even a short 3-minute video. It’s so fascinating to me. When we see the amount of work creators put into crafting a song, a film, or even an article of clothing, it makes me appreciate the finished product even more.

When we are the ones doing the work, it’s a different story. It’s harder to appreciate the making of something when the process is slow or tedious. It’s especially difficult if the end goal isn’t a guarantee!

We want the guarantee, don’t we? We think that's what glory is --operating a successful business, publishing a book, or having a well-connected family. Those are all great accomplishments, but I actually think thriving happens through the small increments of time we take to move forward one inch at a time.

Small increments don't feel like much, especially when we’re in the thick of it. Yet, those small steps are everything when you zoom out to see what they’re producing in and through us. The ten-minutes you take to workout each day. The fifteen-minute writing sessions you squeeze in before making dinner. The monthly payments you make on your student loans. Some days you literally hate everything you’re doing as you do it, but you keep going anyway. Why? Because these are the painstaking, glorious steps that display God’s faithfulness.

Here’s central truth: We keep going because God is faithful and He gets the glory.

This makes me think of the creation story. After creating new things each day, the Bible says God looked at all he had made and “saw that it was good,“ (see Genesis 1). No one was there for this cosmic work but the Trinity AKA God himself. He was the only one to praise His work, measure His work, and motivate His own work. I mean, he’s God and he’s capable of all that. Then, despite knowing His creation would be tarnished by sin, God remained faithful and kept going! Why? For us. (Insert ‘mind blown’ emoji here!)

God is the truest depiction of devoted work and creative artistry. He is the beginning of progress, the authority over finished work, and the author of time. He is hidden, mysterious, ever so present and real. Then, this true God designed us and gave us a job to do; to fill the earth and subdue it. In simple terms I think that means, we bring God glory when we stick to the things He’s asked us to do.

“We bring God glory when we stick to the things He’s asked us to do. ”

We may never see the hours you put into improving your baking or teaching skills. The dance parties you throw by yourself to preserve fun and joy. We will never see the countless hours spent praying, abiding, or reading to know God’s word. Hidden are the tears you sow and methods you try to raise loving and wise children. For this I say, rejoice because that’s the work God gets glory for!

For all the small increments, for all the hidden work, for the good, the bad, and the messy steps you take — It is enough. It is holy. It is working. Because God is faithful and in the end, He get’s the glory. Now, THAT is a good guarantee!