A little better today than yesterday

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “A fresh start in a new year”

Our Bible verse for today: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13 (NKJV)

Our thought for today: “A little better today than yesterday”

Should I even want to be a better man than I am, or should I simply relax and be content? Isn’t it okay to just be me, or do I have to be forever in the mode of working and striving to improve?

The quick and easy answer, and the path of least resistance, is to convince myself I’m fine just the way I am and I should just relax and be content. But is it really God’s desire for me to stay how I am and to make little or no effort to improve in any area of my life? If so, then why would I even need the Holy Spirit to be my teacher, counselor, and guide? Why would it be necessary for the Holy Spirit to mold me and shape “into” the person God wants me to be?

The truth is that we can all be better than we are, and the job of the Holy Spirit is to guide us, nudge us, and counsel us into being a better man or woman today than we were yesterday. It would be arrogant and egotistical to believe I’m fine the way I am and that there is no room for improvement. If, as we have previously discussed, I am in fact a whole person – physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual – more than just a physical body, more than just a brain on a stick, more than just a bundle of nerves and emotions, and even more than just a spiritual being – if I am a whole person consisting of all of that – then surely there is room for me to become stronger and better in all of those areas.

Deep down we all know that we can be more, we can be better. Unfortunately, the gap between who we are and who we should be often seems wide and insurmountable. But that’s where Jesus comes in. Philippians 4:13 is true, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” If I am seeking God’s will in whatever the issue or situation is, then Christ will empower me to accomplish it. And remember that when it came to making New Years resolutions, we engaged in prayerful analysis of where we are in critical areas of life and where we should be. Then we asked the Holy Spirit to guide our thinking and to lead us to make some resolutions, followed by goals and plans to implement those resolutions. So, this is now a God-thing. Your improvement in those areas is a Holy Spirit project.

You can be better than you are. We can all be better than we are. Physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually better. God does want you to be living your best life, and the Holy Spirit will help you to do it. So, keep going. Make some progress today toward fulfilling those goals. If you do, you will be a little better today than you were yesterday.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

(If you like what you are reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00, in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

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