“But let patience have her perfect work that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” James 1:4
Today’s Christian daily devotional
My eyes skim the celebratory crowd below us. In just a couple of hours, John and I will be officially welcoming in the New Year with this crowd of beautiful strangers.
John grabs my hand from across the table and moves closer to me.
“So, what’s your New Year’s resolution?” His eyes twinkle mischievously. John is doing his best to imitate my voice and mannerisms.
Being married for over a decade has prepared John for the inevitable question. But, this year he’s beaten me to the punch.
“I’ve been praying about what God wants for me. I already know what I want for myself.” I take a sip of water, mulling over my thoughts.
John jumps right in. “Oh, let me guess. You want to loose five pounds and find a magical way to eat pancakes while doing it.” He laughs while freeing his hand to grab a piece of bread out of the basket.
Ever since I was a young girl, I’ve always followed what I wanted to do and even kept a timeline of when I expected it to be done. Finding goals and achieving them feels as if it has been ingrained in my OCD DNA.
“This year I’m giving up my goals, dreams and ambitions.” I smile back confidently.
“Yeah, right.” John continues to dive into the breadbasket with little abandon.
“I’m serious. All my life I have made goals and worked hard at things I thought I wanted to achieve.”
He nods in agreement. “So, what’s wrong with that?”
“I feel like I’m missing something; if I keep filling my life with what I think I want to do, I feel like I’ll be missing out on what God has for me.”
I’ve always been a hard-worker, an overachiever and a person with clear visions and goals. Sadly, patience is a virtue I lack tremendously. And completely trusting in God with my life is easier said than actually done.
If you’re searching for God’s will for your life, let me challenge you to scale back on your busyness. Take some time to pray and actually wait on God before you make another time-consuming decision for your life and family. Allow God to really lead you. What He tells you could be the difference between simply surviving and thriving amazingly.
God wants you to enjoy your life the talents He has given you to the very fullest. If you’re not feeling fulfilled, you’re probably not seeking the will of the one who created you for a very specific and divine purpose.
Deep down in your heart you know you were created for something great. Find out what it is! Life’s too short NOT to get God’s input!
“Dear Heavenly Father,
I feel like my life has taken on a life of it’s very own. I’m on this hamster wheel hoping to figure out what you want me to do with the life I have. But, I’m not doing much more than hoping.
Today, I repent of not seeking your will more deeply. Help me to take your desires seriously.
As I seek your will for my life, bless me to hear you clearly. Help me to turn down the activities that are preventing me from taking the time to actually wait for your answers to my prayers.
Open up the doors that will bring me into your will and close the doors that might lead me astray from it.
Bless me to be patient, to have a hopeful expectation of the AMAZING life you had in mind when you created me.
I don’t want to mess up your dreams for my life. I know you can do better than I could ever do.
I trust you, Lord. In Jesus’ precious name, help me to trust you even more. Amen.”
Thank you for reading today’s Christian daily devotional on verse: James 1:4
Please check back and see what we have for you tomorrow!
Author: Julia Shalom Jordan