Shoot For The Moon

devo1“Pierce my heart to live up to my full potential,” is our theme for March. The key scripture is Psalm 139:14: “…I am fearfully and wonderfully made, marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well.” To see God’s magnificent and unmatchable power, all you have to do is use any of your senses to recognize that all the things around you were created by Him! We ourselves were created by God Almighty (Gen. 1:27), and our whole duty is to serve Him (Ecc. 12:13; Matt. 4:10). Since we have such a humbling privilege to serve our incredible Master, shouldn’t we make sure we give it our best to live up to our full potential—for Him? Of course! But…how do we do that?

Pray!

Let’s look at James 1:5: “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God…and it shall be given him.” Since we know that “with God all things are possible” (Matt. 19:26), it’s logical that if we are working toward our full potential, then before anything else, we should seek His guidance! He loves when we come to Him in prayer and realize that only He is able to strengthen us with His unlimited power. We are also told to “pray without ceasing” (I Thess. 5:17), and believe and trust that God will answer our prayers.

Study!

I like to call the Bible “My Road Map to Life,” because in it, God reveals to us how to be saved, how to grow as a Christian, how to treat others—everything we need to know! Therefore, we can know that by studying it, we will be better prepared to teach others and defend our hope in God. Second Timothy 3:16-17 says, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (emphasis mine). What a comforting thought in our endeavor to reach our full potential! From studying the Scriptures, we come to learn and understand God’s perfect instructions more deeply, so that we can be “equipped for every good work” down every path of life.

Find Support!

Suppose you regularly hang out with a group of people who indulge in worldly desires, have no respect for teachers, parents, and other adults, and use foul language. The simple fact is this: “Do not be deceived: Evil company corrupts good habits” (I Cor. 15:33). This seems to be one of the hardest truths to grasp, especially as young women, but let’s get serious with ourselves; if we constantly allow those influences in our lives, there’s no way we can reach our full potential. “Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has unrighteousness with righteousness? What communion has light with darkness?” (2 Cor. 6:14). We can try to teach unbelievers the paths of righteousness found in God’s Word, but if they desire to continue down their current path, we must sever our ties with them before they drag us down.

devo2Now, you may ask, where are we supposed to find good people to hang out with? At times, it might seem like there aren’t many people who sincerely want to follow the Lord. But we can know who those people are by their fruits (Matt. 7:15-20). The people who are friendly to you no matter what, are honest in their schoolwork, and do not gossip or bring others down by their words are probably the people who will be your true friends—hopefully, you are thinking of your brothers and sisters in Christ! Our Christian family is a great, beautiful blessing, and we should realize they are the best support around! I love the passage in Ecclesiastes about having good friends: “Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion…” (Ecclesiastes 4:10, emphasis mine). Our Christian family understands our rejoicings and our sorrows, and they will comfort us in hard times. God blesses us in allowing us to be around other Christians; He knows that we need support, and that it is hard to be strong alone. But let us never forget that even if it seems like no one else is around, our Best Friend is always by our side, and willing to work in us! Surrounding yourself with people who allow the fruits of the Spirit to be evident in their lives (Galatians 5:22-23) will definitely help strengthen you in reaching your full potential!

Look For Opportunities!

Perhaps some of you like to plant flowers in the spring. You have your flowers, dirt, water, gardening tools, and the knowledge of how to properly plant them and keep them alive. But, if you have those things and don’t use them, what good are they? Just so, if we sit around and just have faith that we will reach our potential, we won’t succeed, will we? We have to work (James 2:14-26). I like to use the phrase “look for opportunities” in the place of “work.” There’s a woman going to her car, struggling with a baby bag, a child, and a load of groceries. Offer assistance! An elder’s wife has had surgery and is unable to prepare meals for the family. Why not ask if you could make their dinner one evening? God gives us these opportunities so that we can easily make an impression on others—for Him. When we are constantly on the lookout for ways to reach out and help others, we become a better servant for Christ, we are diligently working to reach our full potential, and we are glorifying God by our good works (Matt 5:16)—and we will be blessed for that!

Landing Among The Stars

devo3A popular quote goes like this: “Shoot for the moon; even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.” That is a wonderful thought! We, as Christians, can relate to that. Paul tells the Philippians in Philippians 2:5 to have a mind like Christ. Although we know we will never be perfect like He is, we are still to strive to be like Him to the best of our ability, asking for His guidance and help. Doing so is still “landing among the stars” in God’s eyes, because we are obeying Him, and doing His will, by giving it our all to reach our full potential. You might be searching for ways to grow. So pray, study, surround yourself with good friends, seek opportunities, and I am confident that “…He who has begun a good work in you will complete it…!” (Phil 1:6).

By Hannah Smith

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