"Better Is a Never-Ending Quest" (Honda's slogan in 2018)

Guess what! Honda gets it! "Better is a never-ending quest."

Honda knows they haven't arrived, but they keep moving forward, getting better and better with each new car design.

This past weekend was a great reminder of this truth. The more I attend writers' conferences, the more I'm convinced better is what I'm always longing to be. I want to be a better writer and communicator. I want to be better with weaving words together to tell God's story well. The more I  learn and apply, the better I become. Therefore, I keep learning, growing, and moving ahead.

No matter what you're aspiring to do well, better describes progress. Whether from yesterday to today, or from last year to this year, better is a mark of improvement on what you've accomplished so far and a dose of encouragement to keep moving forward.

Better is not an the end-all.

Just like believers and the sanctification process, it's on-going until we see Jesus face to face.

Followers of Jesus Christ are on a never-ending quest to be better today than we were yesterday.

Read 1 Peter 1. The sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit is constantly working in us to refine us into the image of Jesus Christ, the radiance of God's glory, to be obedient children until we receive the goal of our faith, which is the salvation of our souls. 

In our Red Carpet Winter Bible Study, we're learning what it looks like to "Live Like You Belong to God" (from Kay Arthur's 40-minute Bible study series). This past week we looked for words like Light and holy, distinguish and separate - words that define God and His chosen people.

We were reminded that God's first words recorded in Scripture are, "Let there be light" (Genesis 1:3).  God separated the light (day) from the darkness (night), and He's been separating the two ever since. In the physical separation of light and dark, a spiritual truth was told.

Believers are called to be the Light of Christ in a world filled with darkness. God's chosen people have been called to be separate. He called us out of darkness and into His marvelous light to proclaim the praises of our holy God (1 Peter 2:9).

In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven (Matthew 5:16 CSB).

Ask yourself: Is my light shining in such a way that I'm distinguishable in a crowd as one who lives in the presence of Jesus? Is my behavior as such that I can be identified as a disciple of Jesus Christ?

People should be able to distinguish us from non-believers wherever we go. We are not called to blend in, but to stand out.

We're called to be holy. 

But as the One who called you is holy, you also are to be holy in all your conduct; for it is written, Be holy because I am holy (1 Peter 1:15-16 CSB).

Holy does not mean perfect. Holy means set apart.

Allow this thought to permeate your mind and influence your behavior as you move through your day: 

Our better is becoming more unique, more holy, more set apart, more distinguishable...

just like Christ.

My Pleasure,

Melanie