Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – So That – James 1:4 – Mature And Complete – Growing As Disciples

Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.  James 1:4 (NIV) 

In Progress

You are a work in progress. You are my work in progress. I am molding and shaping your life. I am using all the events of your life to make you into the person that I have called and planned for you to be. How does this all sound to you? It sounds great. I welcome your work in my life. Change me however you see fit. I want to be the person that you have called and planned me to be. I don’t want anything more. I don’t want anything less. Are you sure? I’m sure, at least I thought so until you asked me that question. Why are you asking me if I am sure? Do you think that all the changes I want to make in your life will come quickly and easily? Will you always welcome my work in your life? What will you think, say and do if I use a painful trial to mold and shape your life? Will you persevere through trials in life because you know that I can and will use them to make you mature and complete? You have given me a lot to think about. I don’t see much choice. What do you mean by that? I want you to work in my life. I want to be mature and complete. You’re telling me that you can and will use trials to mold and shape my life. Yes, I am. You are not saying that you are going to be the author of every trial that I go through. No, I’m not. This broken, sin filled life, has an almost unlimited amount of trials that are part of it. Yes, that’s right. It seems to me that I can choose to allow myself to become bitter or better as a result of the trials that I go through in life. What do you mean by that? If I bitterly resent all the trials that I go through then my heart and mind will become bitter. Yes, it will. If I cry out to you for help and rely on you as I go through trials I will become better. You will be able to mold and shape my life as I go through trials. My relationship with you will grow and deepen as I draw near to you in the trials of life. You will give me wisdom and understanding as I ask for your help. You will draw near to me as I draw near to you in the trials of life. I will learn to hold on to you as you hold on to me. Yes, you will. I will learn to look at trials with a happy heart knowing that you will never leave me or forsake me in them. Yes, you will. Then I will persevere through trials because I know that you are with me in each one of them. Yes, I am.

Lord, I will persevere through all the trials of life because I know that you are using each one of them to make me mature and complete. Finish and complete your work in me Lord so that I will be the person that you have called and planned for me to be. Amen

For today’s complete 4 page Discipleship Devotional study guide click here:

So That – James 1-4 – Mature And Complete – 4 Page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide

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