daily devotional

I grew up in the Bible belt, but no amount of yelling “repent or go to hell” was going to bring me to a personal relationship with Jesus. It might scare me, but it wouldn’t change me. One thing changes us, and one thing alone. Jesus. It is an understanding of who we truly are, whose we are through Christ Jesus, and the life we were created for that changes us. The other stuff holds us in bondage when Christ came to set us free. It is in Jesus we are free to live up to our potential and step into the life God designed us for.

Truly understanding my heart’s desires, my gifts and my talents, as well as my experiences, all align perfectly to bring me to the very life God had in mind for me from the beginning … well that was my biggest ah-ha moment. It’s all by design and for a great purpose. The purpose of becoming who I was created to be so I can live the life I truly want.

Do you understand that? The life you really want, I mean really want down deep within you, the desire for that life is a direct result of the potential God placed in you and the design of your purpose. The only way to live that life is to become who you were created to be.

That is the process you’re in … becoming the person you were created to be. Today is just another step in that process. All things are being used to bring you closer and closer to your true potential and the result will be the life you really want. Why? Because your truest desires were placed within you by your creator to guide you in becoming exactly who he designed you to be.

This is the journey you’re on … living the life you really want. Today is just another step on that journey. As you become the person you were created to be, you begin living the life you really want. And isn’t’ that the greatest journey?

And don’t miss it … this is the most beautiful picture of repentance.

I always understood repentance as a punishment. A “no no, you’ve been a bad girl now you’re being punished.” A threat and a real consequence if I didn’t follow the rules. But what if repentance is more of a beautiful return? A return to the life you really want? A return to who you were created to be?

Yes, that’s what it is. It is a return. Not a harsh threat. An invitation to come on back, get on track, and live beyond your wildest dreams.

2 Peter 3:9 says “The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.”

The Message translation says “he’s giving everyone space and time to change.”

God is so patient with us. His invitation to return is always extended and every day he’s made a way for our return to his best and biggest plans for our lives.

The enemy is relentless in his plan to block us from the return. He plays in the screw up and beat up game. The devil pushes you towards the screw up, then causes you to dwell in the beat up. How many perfectly good days of life will you continue down the path of the enemy’s plan for your life? How many more days will you choose to believe you’re so screwed up you can never change? How many more days will you waste dwelling on all you’ve done wrong, when the way back is right in front of you?

Return. Return to you. Return to who you really are so you can live the life you really want. The life you were created for.

We all get lost along the way. We all stumble. And for this we have a patient God who is forever making a way back. There’s no mistake you can make that can possibly cancel God’s plan for you. Honey, you’re not that powerful. His good plan is always, always, always still in the offering and he is patiently making the way for you to come back to it.

He is giving you space and time to change. What if this year in your life you realize your potential? What if this is the time you shed all that other nonsense the enemy has tried to throw on you, and you rise up to become more and more like the person you were created to be? Don’t you understand what would happen here? As a result of you becoming who God designed you to be, you get to begin living the life you really want. THEY ARE CONNECTED.

How do you make the money? How do you earn that promotion? How do you level up? How do you lose the weight? How do you get organized? How do you find your mate? How do you save your marriage? How do you become a better mother?

The answer is the same … BECOME WHO YOU WERE CREATED TO BE.

When you focus on becoming who God created you to be, you rise up to new levels as your best self. You start making the right choices with the right attitude, taking the right action. And wah-lah sister, va-va-voom, there it is … the opportunity to live your days as the gal who gets it right!

Could it be that simple? Absolutely!

And when you become the person you were created to be, what naturally happens …. You begin living the life you really want. The two are connected at the hip, perfectly in unison by design.

And the process is a simple return. There’s nothing confusing or overwhelming here, it’s a return. It’s coming back home. Back to who you were always supposed to be.

Let every decision you make today be put through the filter of “does this align with who God created me to be?”

Did he create me to be stressed? No.

Did he create me to be a habitual complainer? No.

Did he create me to be a negative, nagging pessimist? No.

Did he create me to be burdened by this bad habit? No.

Did he create me to be lazy? No.

Did he create me to be jealous? No.

Did he create me to be a world class worrier? No.

Okay, then I won’t be any of those things today!

Did he create me to be loving? Yes.

Did he create me to be productive? Yes.

Did he create me to be faithful? Yes.

Did he create me to be balanced? Yes.

Did he create me to be joyful? Yes.

Perfect … I will be those things today!

This is the return. This is repentance. It’s not a “no no, bad girl” punishment. It’s a process of coming back to who you were created to be so ultimately you can live the life you really want. That’s a good thing. That’s an exciting thing.

Now it’s time for a bold prayer. A prayer asking God to reveal to you any needed area of repentance. Search me God and show me the gap between how I’m currently living and how I could be living in accordance with your perfect design, then strengthen me to return to your best for me.