Living the Dream

Be completely faithful to the Lord your God, love him, and do whatever he tells you. The Lord is the only one who can give life, and he will let you live a long time in the land that he promised to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Deuteronomy 30:20 (CEV)

What do you want to do when you grow up?

Who do you want to be?

Those two questions are not the same. God is far more concerned with who you are. What’s on the inside—your character—is something you take with you to any career you choose in life.

So, who does God want you to be? He hopes you will be someone in love with him. Someone who chooses to stay faithful to him and obey him. Someone who trusts him. Someone who loves others and cares for them.

The amazing part is that God gives us the choice to become who we want. He doesn’t want slaves. Even though he could, he won’t force us to love him.

But when we choose to love God, we find the reward of life filled with love, joy, and peace—things that cannot be taken away or bought. And when times get tough, this life is filled with hope. Our relationship with God will carry us through this life and even after it, where we will be with God forever in heaven.

How you choose to live today matters greatly. Always remember, the God who loves you and made you is waiting, offering the best for you. Will you accept his invitation today?

SPIRITUAL FITNESS TRAINING

Think about some of your real-life heroes. Maybe your parent, your youth pastor, your sports coach. What most impresses you about the lives of those you admire? How do you want to be remembered?

INSPIRATION

“The happiness which God designs for his higher creatures is the happiness of being freely, voluntarily united to him…”

—C. S. Lewis, British author, from his book, Mere Christianity

KEEP IT GOING

Related passages: These additional verses will help you expand Scriptural knowledge and place on the armor of God’s Word to tackle each day. Swipe to read the passages today.

Psalm 16:11

Proverbs 8:35–36

Matthew 10:39

John 10:10