“Perfection”

Have you ever set “perfection” as a goal on your list? That may seem a little strange or unobtainable to many, but in God’s eyes, perfection isn’t about performance. In fact, it isn’t about behavior at all. The bible says, “I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.”

What God is looking for is a heart that is perfect toward Him. The bible says that people look on the outside, but God looks at the heart. That means He is more pleased with someone who has a heart set on Him, who may mess up often, than He is with someone doing all the “right things” but for all the wrong reasons.

The condition of your heart is extremely important to God. When you have a right heart, you are humble before Him. You seek His ways. You get up each day with a desire to please Him. You submit every area of your life to Him, and you are willing to make adjustments and receive correction so you can grow and come up higher.

As you prepare for this week, I encourage you to make knowing Him your number one priority. Yield yourself to Him and let Him shape your character. Seek Him diligently and as you set your heart on Him you will see Him cause you to rise higher and develop in every area of your life!

Your Plans Will Succeed!

We all have dreams that we’re hoping will come to pass. We should always be praying and believing – that’s all part of faith. But there’s another part of faith that oftentimes people leave out, and that is putting action behind your faith.

The bible says, “But someone will say, ‘You have faith, and I have works.’ Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith BY my works.”

In other words, when we really believe God, we obey Him. We can pray all day long, “God, get me out of this problem.” But if you really want to get God’s attention and see Him move in amazing ways, take it one step further and DO something to exhibit your faith. 

You can’t get it done by works alone – it does take faith, BUT you must let your actions prove your faith. Maybe you need a turnaround in a relationship. Are you being the one to show love and forgiveness? Maybe you need a financial breakthrough. Are you being responsible with the money you do have? Maybe you lost your job. Are you polishing your resume and knocking on new doors?

The bible says, “Commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will succeed.” I want to encourage you today to make sure you put action behind your faith, then watch Him crown your effort and come through in exceedingly abundant ways!

Destination Disease

Too many people suffer from “destination disease.” In other words, they’ve reached a certain level or obtained a certain goal and now they’re coasting in life, off of what they’ve already learned.

Studies tell us that 50% of people, after they graduate from high school, will never read an entire book the rest of their life. One reason is that people see learning as a PERIOD of life instead of a WAY of life. They think, “I’m out of school. I’m done with my training. I’ve got my job.”

Friend, God didn’t create us to be one dimensional beings. To reach one level and stop. Regardless of your age or station in life, you should be constantly learning, improving your skills, and getting better at what you do. Make your “pursuit of excellence” an endless pursuit. Always look for ways to improve and develop.

The key is that you have to take responsibility for your own growth. Growth is not automatic. There are tons of resources, even many which are free, that will help elevate you in some way.

What steps are you taking to get better? Are you reading books, listening to teaching CDs, taking online courses, attending workshops, going to seminars (or even more convenient: webinars)? Do you have any mentors?

Today, I want to encourage you to decide that you’re not just going to coast through life relying on what you’ve already learned. You have amazing potential yet to be tapped into! Develop your talent and become all that God created you to be!

Staying Spiritually Hydrated

In the natural, every day we get thirsty. Water is what we need to sustain life. When we are out in the heat or exerting our bodies physically, even more water is required to keep us hydrated and functioning optimally.

Spiritually, we need water every day, too. To live a balanced life, we need to refresh our hearts and minds as much as we need to refresh our bodies. Jesus said, “I am the Living Water. If you drink of Me, you will never thirst again.”

During the day, we all have things that come against us spiritually. We all feel the heat, so to speak. It’s easy to get upset or stressed out, but that’s when you need to take a two-minute break and go drink of the Living Water.

Get quiet and say, “God, I need You. I’m asking You to help me stay strong. Help me to stay in peace.” Remember, He is the only one who can satisfy your spiritual thirst. Seek Him and you will find rest and refreshment for your soul.

Which Will You Choose To Activate?

Every single one of us deals with fear, but that doesn’t mean we have to be controlled by it. If you’re going to rise to new levels, overcome every obstacle and see your God-given dreams come true. Here’s the key, you must activate your faith, not fear.

It’s a simple choice you and I get to make every day. Activating your faith, rather than activating your fears, is one of the most important things you can do to live a more victorious, more peaceful life.

The bible says, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” That means you can say NO to fear, doubt and insecurity because those things are not from God. Instead, you can say YES to faith and live a bold, victorious, fearless life.

Fear and faith have something in common. They both ask us to believe something is going to happen that we cannot see. Both fear and faith are powerful forces, but you get to choose which of these you want to activate in your life.

When you choose faith over fear, it activates God’s power. Instead of focusing on your problems, choose instead to focus on God’s promises. Here’s a quick reference for whatever source of fear you may be experiencing today:

-If things are tough at work right now, God has promised to pour out His favor.

(Psalms 30:5)

-If you’ve received a discouraging report from the doctor, healing is coming your way.

(Isaiah 53:5)

-If there is a struggle in your finances, remember God is going to provide for your every need.

(Philippines 4:19)

-If your child or someone you care about has gotten off track, God is going to bring them back.

(Proverbs 22:6)

-If you’ll activate your faith by standing on God’s promises, you will see God do exceedingly, abundantly more than you could even ask or think!

(Ephesians 3:20)

This Week’s Challenge!

When something good happens, do you recognize that it’s God at work? Right away, that’s when you need to thank Him for it. Start making sure you give Him the credit.

Some people claim that God isn’t doing anything in their lives. But, I’m convinced that God is constantly showing us His goodness – it’s just that some folks aren’t recognizing it for what it is.

This week I challenge you to look for God’s fingerprints on your life. The bible says, “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good.” If you’re going to taste God’s goodness, you have to realize that every good break, every time you were protected, every door that opened, every advantage that you’ve had is God working in your life.

Don’t make the mistake of taking His favor for granted. Recognize Him and thank Him for His goodness and faithfulness, and you will see it increase in every area of your life.

Preventing Your Past From Limiting Your Future

Don’t allow your past to limit your future. In other words, don’t let the way somebody treated you, or what they did or didn’t give you, keep you from pressing forward and becoming all that God has created you to be.

The people who raised you may have had addictions or negative mind sets, but that doesn’t have to be YOUR future. You can be the one to break that negative cycle. Maybe they had anger issues or never amounted to much, but you don’t have to keep letting that curse imprison you.

Right now, in this very moment, you can be the one to say, “No more. This is a new day! I may have had an unfair past, but I’m not going to have an unfair future! I know God put a blessing on me before anybody could put on a curse, and I’m not going to let my past limit my future.”

Today, know that your loving, heavenly Father is for you! The bible says, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” Friend, I urge you to turn to Him so you can break free from the bondages of your past. When you choose to put Him first in your life, nothing can stop your divinely-designed, amazing future!