DO YOU FEEL INCOMPLETE?

BIBLE PASSAGE:
“Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun
a new work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.”
(Philippians 1:6)

MEDITATION:
Do you feel like something is missing in your life? Even
on the days when you think you ‘have it all together’, do
you still feel incomplete? How do you handle these feelings?
Do you try to add new things to your life in your search for
fulfillment?

Some people have many hobbies; some attend every seminar
their employer will pay for; some play every sport they can
work into their schedule; some participate in every event they
know about; some sign up for every new class offered at their
church.

None of these are bad things, but the question is,
    “Are they continuing to search for something
      to fill a void in their life and make them feel
      complete?”

As far as the classes at church are concerned, some may know
much more than they are currently doing. In other words, we
need to apply to our lives what we have already learned, before
seeking out new classes that will give us additional advice.

Our goal should be to apply what we have learned; to do them
well and see the impact they have had on our lives. This can give
us the confidence we need for learning new things. Otherwise,
we are just filling our heads with knowledge, but our lives are
not being changed.

At any rate, there are times when most of us probably have feelings
of incompleteness in our lives. When we do, we need to be reminded
that when we are saved, we begin a transition of transforming from
who we are, to becoming the person God wants us to be.

We might wonder where to start and how this transformation will
happen. The good news is, God begins ‘His’ sanctification process
the day we receive His salvation. He knows the things that need to
be purged from our lives (sinful habits, thoughts, words, etc.), and
the new things (righteous things) that need to be added to our lives
so He can make us the person He wants us to be.
    You were taught, with regard to your former way of life,
    to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its
    deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your
    minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God
    in true righteousness and holiness.
    (Ephesians 4:22-24)

During the sanctification process we will have many new things
to learn which could cause us to have feelings of incompleteness.
Satan will seize the opportunity to use these feelings as a way to
discourage us from being transformed by the One who loves us
enough to change us.
    Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly
    nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and
    greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of
    God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life
    you once lived. But now you must also rid yourselves of all
    such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy
    language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you
    have taken off your old self with its practices and have put
    on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in
    the image of its Creator.
    (Colossians 3:5-10)

It’s natural to feel incomplete while we are being sanctified by the
Lord, but rather than getting discouraged, we need to remember,
and be grateful for how the Lord is molding us into more of a
likeness of His Son, Jesus.

According to His Word, God is the One performing our transition
from who we were, to who He wants us to be. It can be an exciting
time when we realize that the Lord loves us enough to mold us into
a new person. Our responsibility is to trust Him enough to allow Him
to change our lives, and to embrace the new person we have become.

Our confidence rests in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. How
reassuring to know that our confidence is not in man or in our
abilities, but it is a result of the Lord’s mercy and grace! Our
life has many turns and some difficult paths, but we can find
confidence in knowing that the Lord is at work in our lives.

Allowing God to mold us is a growing process – we start out as
a babe in Christ and the Lord works in our lives to ‘mature’ us
so the characteristics of Jesus will be more natural for us. When
things get difficult (and they will sometimes), we can be reassured
the Lord is at work in our lives.

When we look toward heaven and accept the fact that we are in
His hands, we can exchange feelings of incompleteness for new
feelings of completeness. It doesn’t mean we are perfect, and it
doesn’t mean we won’t have problems, but it does mean we have
been equipped to cope with the issues of life in a new way.

ACTION:
Are you having feelings of incompleteness? Have you been saved?
Do you thank the Lord for transforming you into the person He
wants you to be? Are you willing to do the things He requires of
you, even if it makes you feel uncomfortable initially? Does this
devotional from the Lord help you understand why you might
have feelings of incompleteness and restlessness? How will you
respond to the message He has given you?

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, thank You for Your involvement in
my life. Thank You for molding me into the person You
want me to be. Thank You for helping me to exchange
the sinful things in my life for the things that please You.
Thank You for Your Word that assures me You are guiding
me through a transition period, so I can become a mature
Christian – a child of Yours, with the characteristics of
Jesus, and a total commitment to You and Your desires for
me. Realizing that You are at work in my life gives me an
unexplainable peace and joy. Forgive me for any sinful and
disobedient portions of my life that I am still holding on to.
Give me a determination to give You full control of my life.”

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