The Road to Perfect and Complete
I want us to focus our attention today on James 1:2-4,
My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.
What I want to look at today is how God seeks to bring us to maturity by building patience into our lives. If there is one thing I have learned in my Christian walk, it is that God is not in as much of a hurry as I am!
Now, what is patience? Patience is the long-lasting quality of your faith. If you let go of your patience, your faith falls to the floor.
The end result God is looking for is that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. The word perfect here means mature. God is developing maturity in us by working on our patience.
I have a dear friend who has a great church. They endeavored to build another building on their property and it ended up being a major undertaking. In fact, it turned out to be the most difficult thing he had ever done. I mean, it took a strip out of his hide.
Eventually it got built, but you know what my friend says about it? He says, "You see that building? I didn't build that building. It built me."
Going through those trials, facing those difficulties, having his faith tested, having to trust God when it seemed like there was a lack of finances, having to hold onto God's Word when he was a laughing stock with some people, all of that built character in him as he stood the test.
I have a question for you: Has anything been building you lately? If so, rejoice, because God is working maturity in you!
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