We are All in Need of Improvement
We are All in Need of Improvement
Don’t let the picture fool you. This post is not about physical improvements we need to make, it is about so much more. Let’s chat.…
Why do we so easily find fault with others? It is like a flashing neon light we recognize without any problem. But when it comes to finding fault within ourself, it can sometimes feel like looking for a needle in a haystack. We justify, we rationalize, and we make excuses – so many excuses. The reality is we are all in need of improvement. We all need to change. We all need to grow and become better and better.
See… here is the deal… we are not to live to our standard. Our lives are not even about us. We have been deceived into believing that we know better, that we are wise and that it is others that need to grow up – not us. However, the problem is, as believers, we should be experiencing sanctification.
Sanctification? Yes – Jesus had a lot to say about it. It means to be set apart for special use; to be made holy. Holy? How in the world are we to become holy? It is such an intimidating concept, isn’t it? Yet, the Bible instructs us that “as He who called you is Holy, you all be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I am holy.’”
Biblical scholars tell us about positional sanctification – being set apart by accepting Jesus as our Savior. It is the same as justification. And we also know that believers will experience ultimate sanctification – or glorification – when Jesus returns. But between those two events, we are to experience progressive sanctification. That simply means that we should be improving – changing – growing up in the Lord. But instead, we often find that we are focused on all of the wrong things. So today, let’s take a few moments and shift our focus.
Do you recognize that you are in need of improvement?
It is good to be honest and stop deceiving ourself. What are you investing time in to help you grow in the Lord, to become set apart, to become holy? Take a few minutes and jot it all down. A list, or lack thereof, might be what we need to recognize if we are doing our part.
Jesus said, “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. As you sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also be sanctified by the truth.” John 17:17-19
Time to be honest again… Jesus said that we are to be sanctified by the truth of God’s word. How well do you know God’s word? How well do you know God’s heart? How well do you know God?
Sanctification is simple. It is becoming obedient to God’s word. Think of all the scriptures that talk about this and tell us plainly that getting into His word changes us. We are to be transformed by the renewing of our mind. His word is like a double-edged sword, cutting away and exposing the motivations of our hearts. But, how can we obey it, if we don’t know it? How can His word get into us, if we are not getting into it?
What if we earnestly pursued God and got to know Him more than we do now? What if we invested time in His word – not to mark it off our To Do List – but to grow in our relationship with Him? What if we recognized our Lord’s sanctification as the pattern of and the power for our own sanctification? It is Jesus and His example that we are to follow. He has set the standard. Little by little we are to grow to become more and more like Him. He is what sanctification looks like.
As we grow, chains will break. We will no longer be held to the bondage of our past hurts, habits or pain. We will stop favoring our family faults and instead start becoming more like Christ. We will recognize our shortcomings, ask for forgiveness freely, and learn to walk in a freedom we have never known.
So… now that we realize we all need some improvement, what will you do about it? Will you close this blog post and go back to blending into the world or will you choose to step onto a path to growth – to sanctification? Choose wisely. And then choose wisely again tomorrow and again the day after that and the day after that.
A word from Pam….
Hi friends! Thank you for reading this post. I have no words to express have honored I am to get to chat with you. We need one another to keep nudging each other to look up and keep moving forward in our relationship with Jesus. If you are looking for a resource to help you grow more intimate with Him, check out my book, Saved by Grace, Now What? It is available on the MWM Marketplace along with some pretty cute faith based tees.
Also, be sure to check out my It Matters Marketplace where every product purchased prompts a donation to an incredible cause and YOU earn REWARDS. Your Christmas shopping can help us shape the world by spreading the gospel, feeding the homeless, fighting human trafficking, proving soap & clean water, and so much more. Plus, there is FREE shipping on $50 orders and some great promotions going on until the 31st. Hop over there and check it out.
Have a great rest of the week!
P
