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

 

Do you realize that when Satan wants to control you, he’ll do everything he can to stop you from developing patience? That’s why God’s Word says, ‘Let patience have full play and do a thorough work, so that you may be ‘perfectly’ developed [with no defects] lacking in nothing’ (James 1:4 Amp). Did you get that? When patience finishes its work in you, you’ll have reached the place where the enemy can no longer control you. A well-known Christian leader writes: ‘I happened to be in a store during the busy Christmas season, and had waited a long time in a slow-moving queue to pay for one little item. The people in front of me had stacks of items. Then I was overlooked while somebody else was served ahead of me. When it was finally my turn, the sales assistant looked at me and said, “Thank you for waiting”. Are you who I think you are?  That preacher on TV?  I knew the minute you walked in that it was you. I thought to myself, ‘What if I’d been angry and shouting because I wasn’t served in the proper order?  Impatient behavior can adversely affect our witness. When you view things through God’s eyes, it changes how you feel about the people and situations that are testing your patience. You begin to see them as friends, not as enemies. You realize that God actually permitted them to mature and develop you. So today, if you’re in God’s waiting room (and who isn’t?), take a seat and relax. Loosen up and enjoy the wait by entering into His joy!