Being Your BEST for God

Being Your B.E.S.T.! for God You can be better today than you were yesterday… if you just try. Invest in YOU! You're worth it! You're only as good for other people as you are to yourself. Everyone can use a little enrichment now and then. The demands of life - from work, family, church, or community - can drain the very best from us. When you're feeling depleted, it's easy to make decisions that don't align with your true desires or values. The good news is that you have ownership over your life. You can reclaim your sense of control and direction through regular rounds of enrichment. What is enrichment? It means supplying your mind with knowledge, your body with healthy choices, and your spiritual life with faithfulness. It means adding value to your life and to the lives of others - much like enriching soil to help plants grow. Consider the example of farmers. In my area of this beautiful country, the soil is primarily clay, which is challenging to cultivate on its own. Farmers enrich it with peat, topsoil, and other substances to loosen it and allow roots to thrive. Lime adjusts the acidity, fertilizers provide nutrients, and water and sunlight bring life to the seeds. We are like seeds created by God. Our environment is our soil. Our faith acts as the peat, softening hardened hearts so the roots of God's word can take hold. Our attitudes and behaviors affect our ability to engage with others positively. The Word of God is our spiritual nutrient, while the Holy Spirit refreshes us and brings life to our actions. Sometimes, we need a little "Miracle-Gro™" - the words of Jesus - to accelerate our spiritual growth. Just as the soil needs to be continuously enriched, so do our minds, bodies, and spirits. In Matthew 13, Jesus tells the parable of the sower: some seeds fell on the roadside and were eaten by birds, some on stony ground where they withered for lack of roots, some among thorns that choked the plants, and some on good soil that produced a bountiful crop. This story reminds us that growth is only possible when we are prepared and enriched. To enrich the world and those around us, we must first be self-aware and strive to be the best versions of ourselves. By doing so, we can be better spouses, parents, siblings, coworkers - whatever our roles require. God created each of us to live out our best every day, regardless of our age, background, or circumstances. Each person is unique, gifted with talents meant to be shared with the world. Every human has the potential to do good - it is always a choice. There is only one you in the world, and your job every day is to be the best "you" you can be. It is your responsibility to understand and appreciate your uniqueness and to seek ways to share it with others. Being your BEST is a mindset. It's a view that you choose, adopt, and live out. This book is designed to help you cleanse and refresh yourself, to enrich your life, and to be your BEST for God, for yourself, and for everyone you meet. You have a God-given light - let it shine! Embrace your greatness, your brilliance, and all the gifts you have been given to bless others. Shine as the BEST you that you can possibly be! Matthew 5:14-15 - "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. The path to becoming your best self isn't something you have to figure out alone. The Bible offers clear guidance for personal enrichment - wisdom that's been transforming lives for thousands of years. God doesn't withhold what we need to grow; He offers it freely when we seek Him. Start with trust. Proverbs 3:5-6 remind us: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths." Trusting in God and submitting to His guidance are essential aspects of becoming the best version of yourself. Growth also requires us to let go of what holds us back. Philippians 3:13-14 captures this beautifully: "Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." The focus here is on continual growth and striving toward the goal of becoming more Christ-like. In essence, the Bible encourages believers to embrace personal growth, strive for righteousness, and continually seek to align their lives with God's principles to reflect the character of Christ. While the term "best self" may not be explicitly used, the underlying principles emphasize becoming more like God intends for individuals. Take a moment for self-reflection: Are you bringing your best every day to your family, to your work, to your community, to your church? Are you living life to the fullest every day, cherishing every minute? What are some examples of how you enrich yourself - physically, spiritually, emotionally? What do you do each day to enrich your life and the lives of others? In this book, we'll review the components of being your best self, for God and for everyone you touch! Taking lessons from the Bible and from real life, we'll help you focus on continuous renewal and personal growth to guide you through each new day of your life.