God knows what is best for us and longs to help us. When we focus on God’s Word, we will have wisdom in our daily decisions. Colossians 1:9-14 describes expertly what a long-term desire to follow God in our lives will bring. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

​There is an old saying that our potential is one thing. What we do with it is quite another. The saying should really be that our potential is one thing. What God can do with it is quite another. With God’s strength we have unlimited potential. It is important that we do not get caught listening to the lies of the devil that tell us that we are no good and have no worth. God loves each one of us and each one of us is valuable to Him! In 1921, Myra Brooks Welch wrote a wonderful poem that lets Christians know of their worth as a child of God.

​The Touch of the Master’s Hand
​
Twas battered and scarred and the auctioneer
Thought it scarcely worth his while
To waste much time on the old violin,
But he held it up with a smile.
 
“What am I bid, good folk?” he cried.
“Who’ll start the bidding for me?
A dollar, a dollar…now two…only two…
Two dollars, and who’ll make it three?
 
Three dollars once, three dollars twice,
Going for three”…but no!
From the room far back a gray-haired man
Came forward and picked up the bow.
 
Then wiping the dust from the old violin
And tightening up the strings,
He played a melody pure and sweet,
As sweet as an angel sings.
 
The music ceased, and the auctioneer,
With a voice that was quiet and low,
Said, “What am I bid for the old violin?”
As he held it up with the bow.
 
“A thousand dollars…and who’ll make it two?
Two…two thousand, and who’ll make it three?
Three thousand once and three thousand twice…
Three thousand and gone!” said he.
 
The people cheered, but some exclaimed
“We do not quite understand…
What changed it’s worth?” And the answer came;
“Twas the touch of the master’s hand.”
 
And many a person with soul out of tune
And battered and scarred by sin
Is auctioned cheap by the thoughtless crowd
Just like the old violin.
 
But the Master comes, and the foolish crowd
Never can quite understand
The worth of a soul, and the change that is wrought
By the touch of the master’s hand.
 
O Master! I am the tuneless one
Lay, lay Thy hand on me,
Transform me now, put a song in my heart
Of melody, Lord, to Thee!

It has been said that the only person who likes change, is a baby with a wet diaper. Those who have lived long lives know that change is inevitable. We can embrace change and improve, or avoid it. If we avoid improvement it is not living what God calls us to do. Prolonged inactivity dulls our senses, numbs our minds, and atrophies our muscles. God desires for us to seek continuous improvement motivated by His love.

It is important to note here that change does not refer to God or His Word. Malachi 3:6 states, “I the Lord do not change.” We can trust that God’s Word and His promises to us are true. 2 Corinthians 1:20 reads, For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God. Amen means, “so be it,” and it is an affirmation that what was spoken or written is true. We can wholeheartedly trust God in our lives!

The change that God wants us to embrace in our lives is change that strives to diminish sin in our lives. God desires for us to pursue change for the better so that we build our relationship with God which in turn enables us to better serve others in our life. When God’s will directs our life, our heart’s desire will align with God’s Word. Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4. God seeks to change us so that what we desire is what God desires. The next verse in Psalm 37 describes how to do this. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this. Psalm 37:5.

​Poet Deborah Ann Belka has a great poem, Change me Lord, that we can pray to seek God pleasing change in our lives.

​Change me Lord,
I know that I should be.
A different kind of person,
Than the one that I call me.
 
Change me Lord,
There’s so much You can do.
Take this old life of mine,
And make me someone new.
 
Change me Lord,
From the inside out.
To trust in only You,
And never need I doubt.
 
Change me Lord,
Make my heart grow true.
Help me to see the sin,
In the things I say and do.
 
Change me Lord,
Show me the things I do wrong.
Take away my weakness,
And make me someone strong.
 
Change me Lord,
So I can see You’re all I need.
To live my life like my Savior,
In my every act and deed.

We all have days when we feel tired or lacking in energy. Sometimes all it takes is the right words from someone else to provide us a renewed spirit for our calling. In the eleventh century, King Henry III of Bavaria grew tired of court life and the pressures of being a monarch. He went to a local monastery, and asked to be accepted to spend the rest of his life in the monastery.

The leader of the monastery, Richard, replied to the King, "Your Majesty, do you understand that the pledge here is one of obedience? That will be hard because you have been a king."
           
             "I understand," said Henry, "The rest of my life I will be obedient to you, as Christ leads you."
            "Then I will tell you what to do," said Richard. "Go back to your throne and serve faithfully in the place where God has put you."
​
King Henry did just that and served until his death. When King Henry died, a statement was written: "The King learned to rule by being obedient."
 
If we ever tire of our roles and responsibilities, it helps to remember God has placed us in a certain place and with certain people for a reason. God wants us to be faithful in the responsibilities He gives us. He will provide us strength and encouragement to do our work with joy. Nehemiah 8:10 states, The joy of the Lord is your strength.

​God’s love is more than enough for what we need in this life. In response to God’s love we can strive for excellence, do small things well, care about others, work to improve ourselves, and give our full effort. With the right mindset and encouragement from others we will have energy for each day.