How do irritations help fulfill God’s purposes for my life?

Trading Irritations for Maturity:

Embracing God’s transforming work in your life.

Irritations often expose areas in which you need to mature. God wants every Christian to reflect the integrity of His Son Jesus Christ, and God can work through the people and circumstances of your life to press you toward that point of maturity. (See Romans 8:28–29.)

Although it can seem like a daunting task, God can enable you to respond well to irritations and thereby gain the benefits that He wants you to receive. As God works in your life, you will become more sensitive to the needs of others and encounter new opportunities to demonstrate the love of Christ to them. He will help you develop character qualities that honor Him.

“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus . . . . For it is God who worketh in you, both to will and to accomplish, according to his good will.” (Philippians 2:5, 13).

Face Challenges and Experience Change

Consider how God can use the following situations to help you grow:

• Difficult people help you develop genuine love based on mature insight.

• Confusing situations motivate you to maintain inward peace by deliberately and confidently putting your trust in God and the promises found in His Word.

• Circumstances that bring sorrow teach you how to have joy even in the midst of pain.

• Inconveniences teach you to be flexible.

• Obvious needs of others prompt you to be generous.

• Unwelcome responsibilities help you become consistently trustworthy.

• Violations of your personal rights remind you to surrender them to God.

• Temptations teach you to demonstrate God-honoring self-control.

Follow in Christ’s Steps

In the midst of challenges, the Apostle Peter draws our attention to Christ’s example: “For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God For this is thankworthy, if for conscience towards God, a man endure sorrows, suffering wrongfully. For what glory is it, if committing sin, and being buffeted for it, you endure? But if doing well you suffer patiently; this is thankworthy before God. For unto this are you called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving you an example that you should follow his steps. Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth. Who, when he was reviled, did not revile: when he suffered, he threatened not: but delivered himself to him that judged him unjustly.” (I Peter 2:19–23).

Let Patience Complete Her Work

In several places, Scripture describes Godly character qualities and the blessings that come to those who live them out. Following are a few of the qualities that reflect Jesus Christ and demonstrate the work of God’s grace in our lives.

The Beatitudes (See Matthew 5:3–12.)

• Humility

• Mourning

• Meekness

• Spiritual hunger

• Mercy

• Purity

• Peacemaking

• Endurance in persecution

The Fruit of the Spirit (See Galatians 5:22–23.)

• Charity/Love

• Joy

• Peace

• Patience

• Benignity/Gentleness

• Goodness

• Faith

• Mildness/Meekness

• Continency/Self-control

As you respond to God’s work in your life—through irritations, challenges, joys, or sorrows—He will be faithful to lead you to become more and more like Jesus, Who demonstrated all the qualities of Godliness.

“My brethren, count it all joy, when you shall fall into divers temptations; Knowing that the trying of your faith worketh patience. And patience hath a perfect work; that you may be perfect and entire, failing in nothing.” (James 1:2–4).