daily devotional

You just woke up to THE day. Your day. You likely didn’t realize the value or importance of this exact day, but today is a game changer. Today is the day you make yourself proud.

We all like to feel good about ourselves. That feeling of pride and knowing “Hey, I’m worth somethin’!” And the great designer of life has that feeling available to us every day of our life. He not only has it available for us, but he wants it for us. Every day of life he is hoping we will feel like the magnificent creation that we are.

And I love the way he designed it all. Oh how smart he is. We have to earn it. We have to earn that feeling of, “Gosh I’m proud of myself!” How do we earn it? We work! You have to stop wishing for easy and wish you were better. You get better when you work.

There probably isn’t a single one of us who wouldn’t love to be single lottery rich. I mean, wouldn’t life be easier if we had a crap ton of money? And wouldn’t we all love that magic pill diet. Take a little pill for our diet, eat whatever we want, and lose the weight. We all would love that. Sign me up for it! And wouldn’t we all love three magical wishes.

I’m here to tell you that your life will change when your “I wish” is followed by an “I will work.” You want it? Work for it girl!

Proverbs 14:23 says, “All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads to poverty.”

We all love to talk about all the things we wish were different in our life, but where does all that talk lead? It leads to poverty, and I’m not just talking about being poor. The definition of poverty is being inferior in quality or insufficient in amount.

Does that define your life pretty well right now? Inferior in quality and insufficient in amount?

Could it be because you’ve been wishing, but you haven’t been working hard. Scripture says hard work brings profit. Awesome! You wish for it, then you work for it. It’s not going to just magically fall in your lap or come knocking on your door. You’ve got to get up and work for it sister.

Could God rain down all the money you need at this moment? Could he remove the extra 50 pounds you’re carrying around in a week? Could he send his angels to clean your house for you? Sure he could. But by great design of life, you want it you work for it. If you’re not willing to work for it then don’t be disappointed when you don’t get it.

Many of us decided this year we’re going to work for it and we are. We see progress because we’re working. Our success is a result of a partnership with God where we do our part and then he does his. And it feels real good, doesn’t it?

But for many others, perhaps even a greater number of us, we’re still waiting. When will your journey begin? You have some goals for this year, when will you get started on those?

Ecclesiastes 11:4 says, “If you wait for perfect conditions you will never get anything done.”

Are you waiting? Remember back when you first had the urge to do something about the situation that’s on your mind? Remember when you wrote that goal – Remember when the doctor told you change was necessary? Remember when you THOUGHT you were ready to change? Don’t you wish you would have gotten started then? Where would you be today if you would have just gotten started and stuck with it?

Further than you are today, right?

So why can’t today be the day? Why can’t today be the day you decide you don’t want to feel this way any longer, and you just do it? You change. You get to work.

Nope, today’s not the perfect day, the weather’s not perfect, and heck, it’s Wednesday. I mean, who decides to change their life in the middle of the week? You do!

A listener is deciding at this moment they will stop smoking. Yes, today is the day. And you don’t have to feel overwhelmed by it. God is on your side and he will strengthen you every time you call out to him. It’s no accident you’re hearing this.

Another listener is cutting up the credit cards today. They have decided they will not allow their family to go further in debt.

Someone is ending an affair. Someone else is making that long overdue doctor’s appointment. Another is going first to fix the relationship. Someone else is getting help.

You are taking responsibility for the life God has given you and you’re showing up to live it. Yes, this is what God expects of us. God could snap his fingers and magically fix it all, but in his great design he knew of a greater way … you could work for it.

Are you willing to work for it? Your life will change when your “I wish” is followed by an “I will work.” Do you want to feel good about yourself? Do you want to feel proud?

I know how to make that happen. Work for it, and work for it today. You don’t have to have a 10 step plan of how you’re going to work for it. I’m just saying do what you can today.

I don’t want to have poverty in my life, do you? I don’t want to live in a state of being inferior in quality, or insufficient in amount. Scripture is real clear that when I only talk about change there’s poverty in my life, but if I work hard I will receive profit.

Do you wish you had a clean house? Get up and work for it girl! Do you wish you had a smaller butt sister? Get up and work for it!

Are you going to completely resolve the situation and fix your problems today? Probably not. But we can quit living with a mindset that everything has to be fixed in one try. Be willing to work for it today, then be willing to get up tomorrow and work for it again.

And do you know what’s really cool? It feels good to work for it! Nothing feels better than knowing you just gave your absolute best. Give yourself that gift today. Make some decisions you’ve been delaying on, then take the next step.