The Quill and Me—Devotional Blog•Oswald Chambers Reflections  
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July 31
Today's Reading: My Utmost for His Highest
James 1:4
"Let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing."

Remnants of The Carnal Life

The Holy Spirit is still working on us because He wants us to be perfect and complete.

Chambers says the remnants of our carnal life make us careless, and that carelessness is an insult to the Holy Spirit. 

There may be areas where we know we could do better but resist the effort—think again. Chambers says the Holy Spirit will be persistent until we get it right. 

Here is a small list of possible remnants of the carnal life still clinging to ours:

• Daydreaming
• Self-interest
• Independent nature
• Impulsive nature 
• Carelessness
• Laziness

We must not be careless about anything. We are a living witness for Christ—Christ in us, living through us. We should be mindful of our inward life: our thoughts, motives, and habits.

We cannot be careless about our outward life either—the way we talk, walk, worship, and even the way we eat and drink. We are "Christ in the world," and we are a witness of the Christian life, the Christian way, the Christian walk. Even the smallest details of our lives should not be overlooked. 

The Holy Spirit will be patient but persistent with us until we are perfect and complete. And I say, "He is still working on me." But really, it is obedience and surrender. If we will surrender our all to Him, He will perfect us. He is still working on me, and I can tell you that it is a lot of internal work that He does that I do not even know about until it is done; and He has changed me. 

You just have to let Him have all of you so He can do the work. Do not cling to the old life at all. Let Him have everything. The remnants of your carnal life may be the very things that you are clinging to— things so familiar that you may not even recognize their existence. 

We need to pray about it and release it all to Him.

If the Holy Spirit is pointing something out to you, pay attention. Let go of the remnants of the carnal life and let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing— becoming entirely His.

Breath Prayer

Holy Spirit, reveal what remains. 
Perfect me in Your patience.

 Selah,
~ Quil

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Scripture References

• James 1:4 — Let patience have its perfect work.
• Philippians 1:6 — He who began a good work in you will complete it.
• Galatians 5:16–17 — The flesh vs. the Spirit.
• Romans 8:13–14 — Putting to death the deeds of the flesh.
• Colossians 3:9–10 — Putting off the old man; putting on the new.
• Psalm 139:23–24 — Search me, O God.
• 2 Corinthians 3:18 — Being transformed into His image.
• 1 Peter 1:15–16 — Be holy in all manner of living.