daily devotional

God put his best in you. You are lacking nothing. He didn’t cut corners or go cheap when he created you. He envisioned all you could be, then he put exactly what it takes within you to make it possible.

We’re all on a journey, a journey to becoming who we were created to be. There is a path that makes us better and unveils the best version of ourselves. We can over complicate the process and get stuck in the overwhelm of all the details, or we can just get on the right path. The wrong path takes us further away from what God intended for us while the right path leads us to becoming who he imagined we could be.

Lord, help me get on the right path and stay on the right path. My desire is to become who you created me to be.

Romans 12:2 gives us a simple 3 step plan to becoming our best: (The Message)

“Fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.”

Now, let’s break down those steps.

Step 1. Focus on God

I once believed focusing on God meant remaining in a never-ending prayerful meditation state where my mind never wandered off to other things. Ya’ll my mind wanders a lot. I chase squirrels, lots of squirrels. Gray squirrels, brown squirrels, flying squirrels, squirrels with big puffy tails … I find it nearly impossible to stay in a prayerful meditation state for more than 20 seconds at a time. Do you struggle with the same?

What if focusing on God is more about just LOOKING for him?

Yes, that’s it, you’re looking for God! Looking for his fingerprints on the details of your life. Looking for evidence of his presence. Looking for blessings that remind you of his care for you. Look for him.

And when you find him, acknowledge him. Acknowledge that warm sunshine on your face is from your Father. Acknowledge the air that fills your lungs is the very breathe of God. Acknowledge every single good thing in your life today is straight from his hands.

Look for God and acknowledge him. You can do this anywhere with everything. Even while chasing squirrels in your head because God made those squirrels, acknowledge him!

Whew, didn’t we just take the pressure off focusing on God? We simply look for him, recognize him and give him credit.

God, my car started today! I know that was you!!!! God, I have money for groceries today, that was surely you! God, my legs work today. That was you too, wasn’t it?!!!!

What happens as you work on step 1 of looking for God? YOU’LL BE CHANGED FROM THE INSIDE OUT!

Anything you want to change in your life starts with seeking God in it. God is the master of change.

Seriously, if you’re struggling with a bad habit or something you want to overcome, have you asked the master of change for a little help?

Yesterday I was chatting with one of the BIG Life girls I mentor and she was asking for advice on being a better listener. She often offends her husband by interrupting him and cutting him off mid-sentence. She doesn’t mean to, it’s just her habit. She’s tried to change a hundred times, but quickly falls back into old ways of talking before listening.

I relate to this issue. I have a tendency to get overly excited about a conversation and speak before my turn. And when you’re married to a quality time man, that makes him feel unloved and unheard. Like you don’t have time to listen and you’re trying to rush through to your point.

I gave her some advice and practical tips I’ve been working on myself, but you know what the best thing to do would be? Duhhhh … talk to the master of change!

He can change us from the inside out!

Those old habits that are so deeply ingrained in us can be changed from the inside. Why don’t we ask God for help? What do you need to change in your life? Where do you want to get better? I promise God is totally down for helping you get better! He’s all in, just ask him!

Change begins happening within us when we start looking for him. Seek him out!

Step 2 & 3: Recognize what he wants and do it.

As you start looking for God more, you will be changed from the inside out and then you will begin recognizing what God wants. You’ll feel promptings from the Holy Spirit for your next step. You’ll be guided by the Almighty. You’ll receive holy wisdom and divine direction.

And when you do, quickly do it. Respond in obedience. Not only obedience, but anticipation. Anticipation of what God is going to do next. He’s a good good father, so you can trust him fully. He has plans for you and Jeremiah 29:11 reminds us his plans are good. His plans are to prosper you, not to harm you. His plans are to give you hope and a future. You can get excited about that.

Here’s what I’ve finally figured out in life … whatever it is God wants me to do, I want it too. His plan is so much better than my plan. I’m going to stop wasting time fighting for my way. As God works to change me from the inside, I will better recognize what he wants and I will quickly get in his boat and go in the direction he leads!

Look for God and recognize him. When you do, he’ll begin changing you.

As he changes you, you’ll understand what he wants you to do, so do it!

Then you know what happens …

Oh this is good. It’s what got us started in the beginning. He brings out the best in you!

Honey, this is how you become your best.

Your best has always been in you because God put it there. You’re just in the unveiling process. What a fun and exciting journey this is to discovering what God has planned for us.

As a little girl, our local grocery store had a quarter toy machine by the front door. Inside the glass box was a noisy chicken that would cluck and bawk. Insert your quarter and out popped an egg. Inside the egg was a surprise toy. Oh the excitement of seeing what was inside.

We are the same. You have no idea what’s inside of you girl! God placed something totally amazing within you. The BEST is in you and God is about to bring it out.

Bringing out the best in you is a process.

Step 1: Focus on God (but for my focus challenged girls remember that’s simply looking for God and acknowledging him).

This is where God starts changing you.

Step 2: Recognize what God wants from you. (You say you’ve never known what God wants you to do, you’ve never felt that guidance and direction from him? Oh, well did you miss step 1? You start recognizing what he wants from you AFTER you look for him and he changes you.)

Step 3: Do it quickly.

The result … the best in you is brought out!

I don’t want to come to the end of my life and realize there was so much more in me. I don’t want to look back and realize I was on the wrong path so I never lived my best life. I want every ounce of goodness God has planned for me, don’t you?

Let’s look for God and recognize him all around us today.

Let’s let God go to work on changing anything that needs to be changed within us. And let’s not do that passively. Let’s actively seek God in changing our bad habits and tendencies. That’s the ticket!

Let’s start seeing what He wants us to do, and let’s get busy doing it!

And, let’s enjoy the heck out of becoming our best!