Use your imagination to think about what God has prepared for you.

Your imagination is a gift from God. Your imagination allows you to think about images that are so real you think you can touch them, even though you have never seen them in person.

There is no image more worthy of your imagination than heaven. We all think about heaven from time to time–we can’t help it (Eccl. 3:11)–but too often we limit our imagination to “streets of gold” (Rev. 21:21) and mansions (John 14:2). It’s okay to think about heaven the way you would think about Disneyland, with castles, fantasy lands, and thrill rides. But don’t limit your thoughts to the happiest place on earth. Heaven will be much more than we have ever seen or could ever imagine (1 Cor. 2:9).

When you fill your mind with the infinite possibilities of heaven, you have no choice but to think about God.

Let heaven fill your thoughts. Do not think only about things down here on earth.

Colossians 3:2

Think about things that are worthy of praise, and then praise them.

You can think about yourself being truthful, and you can imagine objects of beauty. But what is it like to think of something or someone worthy of praise?

When you look at an object of beauty–say, a beautiful painting–do you give credit to the painting for its beauty? Oh, you can talk about the painting and rave about its value as an art object, but you can’t credit the painting for creating itself.

The credit goes to the artist, who painted this thing of beauty. The artists deserves your admiration because the artist is worthy–you can see the result in front of you. The same thing goes for God, the great Artist who created the earth and everything in it. He’s the One who is worthy of praise, not the creation.

So they worshiped the things God made but not the Creator himself, who is to be praised forever. Amen.

Romans 1:25

You are responsible for the depth of your spiritual understanding. God is responsible for the breadth of your ministry.

An athlete knows that it takes years of training and practice in order to compete in the Olympics. Everyone knows that you must master the basics of a sport before you can play at a high level of competition.

How come we forget this principle when we think about serving God? We want to accomplish wonderful things for God before we have adequately prepared ourselves. Instead of worrying so much about what we can do for God, we should be concerned with getting to know Him better.

We don’t have to postpone sharing our faith with others until we have obtained an advanced degree in theology. But we shouldn’t let a desire for a prominent ministry displace the priority of knowing God better. As we gain a deeper understanding of who He is, then He will open the doors for us to serve Him.

Jesus called out to them, “Come, be my disciples, and I will show you how to fish for people!”

Matthew 4:19

Use your imagination to think about the beauty of God and His creation.

When you think about truth and honor, you are thinking about concepts. You can’t picture truth unless you imagine yourself being truthful. Another part of your thinking involves objects. In your mind you can picture things of purity and beauty, whether you have actually seen them, or read about them in a book.

When we say the words “quiet mountain stream” or “brilliant beach sunset,” wonderful images immediately flash into our minds. You can do the same thing. By using your imagination, you can bring beautiful objects and places into your head.

Be aware of the beauty and detail of God’s creation. Read God’s Word daily. The more beauty you see or read about with your eyes, the more beauty you will hold in your mind.

Think about things that are pure and lovely and admirable.

Philippians 4:8

The first step to having integrity is thinking about it.

The mind is a powerful thing. The Bible says that you are what you think about (Proverbs 23:7). Read that again. Not only do you act upon what you think about, but you also become what you think about.

Take the matter of integrity, which is the centerpiece of your character. Integrity is not something you do; it’s something you are–a person of integrity. You don’t have integrity because you do things that are truthful and honorable and right. You do the right things because you have integrity.

How do you become a person of integrity? You must first think about the things that define integrity. When you occupy your mind with the right things, you will do the right things. You can count on that. You can also be sure that the opposite is true.

Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right.

Philippians 4:8

The time for kindness is when others need it, not when it’s convenient for you.

In a world of selfishness and violence, kindness is in short supply. That’s why any act of kindness, no matter now small, is newsworthy.

Jesus established the standard for kindness when He said, “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Luke 10:27). This principle can give you a quick and easy test to determine whether you are showing kindness to others. In any situation, you can just ask yourself, “How would I like to be treated?” The answer will be obvious to you, and then you can treat others in that same way.

Make every effort this day to show to others the kindness that God wants (and expects) of you.

“Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits,” Jesus asked. The man replied, “The one who showed him mercy.” Then Jesus said, “Yes, now go and do the same.”

Luke 10:36-37

Your best friends will criticize you privately and encourage you publicly.

There is a place for constructive criticism, and we all need it. None of us is above the objective, truthful, and loving correction of someone who has our best interests in mind. This is where your friends come in.

What kind of friends do you have? Do you have friends who will tell you the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15), or do you surround yourself with people who tell you what you want to hear? If these are the only friends you have, they are probably not your friends at all, because even though they talk nice in front of you, they’re talking about you behind your back.

Your best friends will level with you, even at the risk of alienating you for a while. They will tell you privately where you’re wrong and where you need to straighten up, as long as you let them know ahead of time that you want the truth.

“I am warning you! If another believer sins, rebuke him; then if he repents, forgive him.”

Luke 17:3

You are doing a great thing when you are faithful in the little things.

It is only natural that you want to do great things for God. After all that He has done for you, you want to do something significant in return. You want to prove how much you love Him by doing something great and glorious for Him.

Well, stop watching and waiting for some magnificent ministry opportunity. You aren’t likely to speak at a Billy Graham Crusade, or drive a Hummer full of missionaries into the Peruvian rain forest. Just be faithful with the seemingly small things in your life.

Being faithful with the small things is a “big” thing. Loving your family, being kind to a stranger, helping a neighbor–these are small things that have great significance in God’s eyes.

God doesn’t often give us huge opportunities that are spectacular. But He always gives us small opportunities that are significant.

“And the King will tell them, ‘I assure you, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’”

Matthew 25:40

A healthy body and a sharp mind usually go together.

Did you know that there is a direct relationship between your physical fitness and your spiritual life? We’re not saying that the fittest people are the most spiritual, or that unfit people are spiritually weak. You may not be able to do anything to improve your physical condition, yet you have every opportunity to grow spiritually.

However, if your body is run down because of the choices you make–such as eating poorly, never getting enough sleep, or rarely exercising–then your mind won’t be at its sharpest. And if your mind is dull, then you won’t be at your best spiritually. (If you don’t think so, try reading the Bible when you’re dead tired.)

God wants you to have a healthy body so you can have a healthy mind, because a healthy mind enables you to love God even more (Matthew 22:37).

God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.

1 Corinthians 6:20

God wants to replace your question mark with a period (or even an exclamation point).

You probably wouldn’t think that wisdom and doubt were opposites, but they are. The opposite of wisdom is not stupidity, because wisdom has nothing to do with intelligence. It’s more about being sure that what you are doing is right, which would make the opposite of wisdom more like uncertainty, or doubt.

To have doubt is to be unsettled, like a wave driven by the wind. To be wise is to trust someone who not only has more experience than you do, but who also has your best interests in mind.

When you have doubts in your life, you can go to God for the answers. Be confident that He can handle the problem (or give you the wisdom to handle it yourself). Don’t keep fretting about the problem once you have given it to God. From that point on, be confident that He is in charge.

When you ask him, be sure that you really expect him to answer, for a doubtful mind is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.

James 1:6