One thing I ask from the Lord,
this only do I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to gaze on the beauty of the Lord,
and to seek him in his temple. (Psalm 27:4)

“A leader who leads well is a lifelong learner, always seeking to find out more about who we are now and who we are becoming.” – Stephen W. Smith, Inside Job: The Work Inside the Work, 45.

“A humble self-knowledge is a surer way to God than a search after learning.” – Thomas à Kempis

I seek You, Lord, in the morning as a way to say that You are the first thing of importance to me. I seek You that I might find my sense of meaning, love, and belonging first in You. There is no other person or place in which I can truly find these things other than in You. All others are limited and changeable, but You are limitless and faithful. Draw me into Your presence where truth and grace are found in all their fullness. Show me Yourself and then also show me who I am in You.

We are unfinished in life, yet held in the hands of the Finisher. We are not yet complete, but in Christ the promise of completion is secure. To be unfinished means:

• we are looking for more and will not settle
• we are open to growth and yielded to opportunities for growth, even when this is difficult
• we are eager to learn and apply ourselves to lifelong learning
• we are not surprised to encounter our weaknesses, limitations, and sins, but we see them as opportunities to meet with God for transformation
• we recognize that others, too, are unfinished, and we meet them with grace that urges them toward growth and truth that calls them to more than where they are now
• we recognize joys as places of celebration and troubles as opportunities for renovation of life
• we are ever beginners and all our wisdom leads us to greater humility with God, self, and others
• we need other people in our lives because we are aware that we have blindspots in our lives

Lord, unfinished as I am, teach me to accept that and to grow through that for Your glory.

“And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory.” (2 Corinthians 3:18)