A Story That Changes Everything

Imagination is a complex gift from God that allows us to see beyond our current life circumstances and envision a future filled with potential and purpose. In the context of a Christ-centered life, imagination is not just a whimsical daydream but a spiritual discipline that helps us conform our desires with God’s will. It is through the lenses of imagination that we can envision a life that fully mirrors the character and teachings of Jesus Christ.

When we envision the best version of ourselves, we are not merely fantasizing about a glamourized version of who we want to be; we are diligently engaging in a spiritual activity that permits us to see ourselves as God sees us. This vision is persistent in the truth of who God says we are—beloved, valuable, forgiven, heirs, redeemed, and called for His purpose. By focusing our imagination on a Christ-centered life, we can develop a vision that motivates us to live with ambition and morality, seeking God’s righteousness and imitating God’s love in every area of our lives.

Imagining the best version of yourself is not a passive activity but a dynamic process that involves partnering with God in your personal and spiritual growth. By envisioning a Christ-centered life, you can align your desires with God’s will and take intentional steps toward becoming the person He created you to be. As you embark on this journey, remember that transformation is a lifelong process, and with God’s help, you can continually grow into who you were created to be.

Being the best version of you first starts with your mind. Your mind creates the version of you that the heart yearns to experience. Society often associates the heart with love. There is a reason why love and the heart are considered one in the same. Everyone wants to be loved whether they are willing to admit it or not. So often we create in our minds our version of what we consider love to be. This allows our heart to open the door so freely to things that may look good but are not good for us. Yet God tells us to guard our hearts for everything we do flows from it. Once you begin to love something with your heart, your actions will soon follow because as a man thinks in his heart, so is he. Does the best version of you include God? Let me be the bearer of great news, God is the only one who can illuminate the best version of you. Everything else is settling!

This is something I wish I knew back when I was the worst version of myself, but bragging on God. I was living life as I saw fit, from fornicating and partying like a rockstar, to drinking like a sailor! I had no chill, because I was ignorant of the devices of the enemy. I thought I was doing good because my bills were paid, I looked good, and I had material things. I would mention God’s name like a shoutout on a radio station, never waiting for Him to respond. Looking back, God was giving me grace, and time to get it right because clearly, I had it all wrong. I was hell bent on looking well when at the core of me I knew I was hurting on the inside, missing something I couldn’t put my finger on. I was always trying to convince myself that I had it together. There was always a feeling that something more existed, and whatever it was, I needed it. I believe we all have that feeling at some point. It can lead to deep agony, trying to fill a void that only God can fill. However, I still chose to walk the thin line between saint and sinner. Little did I know, I was living a hell bound death, disguised as life. I imagined the best version of me as getting a college education, working a decent job, being with family, having shoes, clothes, jewelry, and money. I would later find out these were the very things separating me from God. Not because God does not want us to have wonderful things and live a kingdom life, but let’s be honest, how can we live a kingdom life without the King Himself? Don’t find yourself seeking the blessing without seeking the blessing giver. Matthew 6:33 says, “But seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (KJV).

I’m sure when you imagine your best life, there are people, places, and things included. There’s nothing wrong with that, but as the scripture states you must first seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness. This is so particularly important, because sometimes what we desire will be what destroys us. Every desire that we have is not given from God. This is why it is important that we know God and we know His character. Eve desired knowledge because the enemy provoked that desire in her by making her doubt God’s character and making her believe that He was holding out on her. The enemy does the same to us, and when we are not careful, we will receive in ignorance. Every open door is not an answered prayer. God gives us the desires of our hearts, but our hearts must be aligned with His will. We must identify the source of the desire, or else we will self-destruct. Everything that we want is not everything that we need. Having the best requires trusting the giver, and it can mean sacrificing the better that you can see. I can imagine that knowledge sounded good to Eve and that the fruit looked good and tasted even better than she expected. Satan tempts us in three different ways, all of which she experienced in the garden of Eden. He tempts us through the desires/lust of the flesh, desires/lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.

His ultimate goal is to make disobedience look irresistibly attractive. The very first thing that he did was urge Eve to doubt God, by questioning her about what they both knew that she was commanded to do. This caused her to wonder if possibly God’s motive was off, what His intent was, or if He was being too strict. This appealed to her sense of wanting freedom to satisfy these newfound desires, never stopping to question the enemy’s motives. This was the lust of the flesh. He waited for her to respond, because he needed to know if he really caught her attention. She responded with what she knew was true, that she would die if she ate from that tree. That is when the enemy told her that she would not die, and this was to undermine Gods authority. This is how he unarmed her and influenced her to let her guard down. This appealed to her desire to want knowledge. As he began to speak about the beauty of the fruit, this was tempting her through the lust of the eyes. Lastly, he appealed to her desire for power and independence. He promised her that eating the fruit would make her like God, knowing good and evil. This was attractive to her, causing her to lust for self-sufficiency and wisdom, also known as pride of life, because this was independent of God and for her own selfish gain.