My personality is such I try to become better every day. It’s the way I’m wired. What this means for me is, each day I look to improve my relationship with God and the way I live for Him. I look for ways to be better in my job, and to hone my writing craft. I am always on the lookout for processes and methodologies to make me more efficient and effective in everything I do. Truth be told, I’m probably a bit (or a lot) obsessive about these things.
I am of the conviction God has given me gifts and talents to be used for His glory, and I have an extraordinary appreciation for the shortness of time. I want to maximize whatever He has entrusted to me so I might bring God immense glory and leave His mark on this world before I depart.
I can’t show you in Scripture any verses commanding us to get better every day. Still, through my years of reading God’s Word, I feel it is implied on almost every page. Many times, we are told to delight in His Word. Paul encouraged us to redeem the time because the days are evil and we have so few opportunities to make it less so. Jesus consistently challenged people to rise above the status quo, to cast off what they had always done or been taught. He showed them there was a better way. Throughout the New Testament we are encouraged to continue growing, not to stay where we are. In other words, I believe we are instructed to get better every day.
I do not believe Jesus created us to sit still and become stagnant. Where is the beauty there? God called His creation very good. He didn’t call it mundane and irrelevant. How dare we tarnish the exquisiteness of creation by our laziness. How dare we squander the precious opportunities placed in our path because we aren’t prepared to deal with them. It is our mission and our duty to continue the mission of Christ and bring the Kingdom of Heaven down to earth. We can’t be effective in this mission if we are stuck in quicksand, holding still. We must move forward. We must get better every day.
What are you doing to get better every day? Do you have a plan to improve? What areas of your life have you been neglecting? Are you closer to Christ today than you were yesterday? Do you know more of His Word and character than you ever have? Are you treating people better than you used to? What about your own witness, does it speak more loudly for Christ today than it did in the past?
As followers of Jesus, I believe it is our responsibility to get better every day. He created us for a purpose, and no one ever accomplished anything without consistently working towards it. We won’t reach our potential or fulfill the work He created us to do if we aren’t getting better every day, even if the improvements are so small they are almost imperceptible. This isn’t about taking grand leaps; it’s about having the mindset to recognize our Creator deserves our very best at all times. He deserves us getting better every day to glorify Him and honor the amazing gifts He has entrusted to us. Together, let’s take a fresh look at our lives. Are we getting better every day?