Philippians 1:6 – And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.

God began a good work within you when he first imagined you. In Genesis chapter 1 we see that God created each of us in his image. That means many things, one of which means he had an image of you from the beginning. He imagined all you could be, all you could do and the impact your life could make. With this image of you in mind, he made you and placed all the potential needed within you and put your life into motion at just the perfect time to fulfill your destiny. This is how your good work started.

And guess what … you had nothing to do with it.

Nothing.

This was all about God’s image of what you could be. That’s why he chose you for life. That’s why he created you with your specific set of gifts and talents and characteristics. You were created for good works. You are here to do good things. You are given life to live a good life.

Are you? Are you living a good life? Or are you going through the motions. Are you spending your precious days stuck in a pattern, stressing about the details, complaining about the work, dreaming of future days while your current days go unlived fully? Ahhhh, don’t let that be you. I’ll tell you where that leads … that leads to regret. And you and regret mix like water and oil. No bueno.

While your potential for a good life had nothing to do with you, it was all God’s idea and his creation, you actually fulfilling that purpose and living up to your potential IS ABOUT YOU. God gave you everything you need, then he gave you free will. He gave you the ability to choose. He gave you the ability to create. If we were to look at the image of us God had in mind and the image of us we live with, I wonder how big the gap is between the two. Using our free will and choices, how far have we gone off track? Have you ever asked God to help you lessen the gap? Lessen the gap between who I was created to be and the person I’ve become. God just help me lessen the gap.

God started something good in you and let me assure you of this, he’s not finished with you yet! God still looks at you and sees that potential. Perhaps beneath the layers of insulation and protection you’ve created, but it’s still in there. The real you is inside. And here’s what I know … that girl is dying to come out. The real you, the you who is confident and strong and determined with a passion and a purpose, the one who will boldly use her talents and life experiences for good, ahhhhh yes that’s who you can be.

Whatever is holding you back in your life right now, recognize at the core of that situation is you. Your choices. You are the common denominator in your life. Everywhere you go, there you are. So if you’re continually unhappy or unfulfilled or unsuccessful, it’s a you thing. It’s the you you’ve been pretending to be. It’s the layers you’ve put on top of who God created you to be. Aren’t you ready to strip it all back down? Aren’t you ready to do this thing different and show up as the raw and real you?

Isn’t that what this world really needs right now? Raw and real people. No more filters. If I saw you in person would I even recognize you without the filters. Stop the contouring. Girl, are your cheek bones really like that? You can paint on abs but is that the real you?

God is calling us to be different in this world. And you know what’s different? REAL. RAW. UNFILTERED.

God started something good in you and he’s not finished. You are a work in progress just as I am a work in progress, and we are changing. He is making us different. He is setting us apart for something good. He is lessening the gap.

Everything you’re going through in life is part of this process. It’s a refining process to strip away all that doesn’t serve towards your purpose in life until all that is left is YOU. The you God had in mind when he first imagined you. The life he saw available to you. The potential he placed within you being fulfilled.

No more going through the motions. No more living behind filters to hide our flaws. God’s stripping it all down. Peeling back the layers and making us different.

God, I know you’re not finished with us yet, come finish what you started. Help me lessen this gap. My desire is to live as the person you imagined from the beginning. Don’t miss that, I believe that was intended just for you. Your desires are directly tied to the person God imagined you to be. The desires of your heart are given to you by God. They are the result of the potential he put within you. That’s why you dream of getting better. That’s why you want more out of your life. Because you were created to be more. And you are getting better.

The gap between who you are and who you were created to be is getting smaller.