I'M BETTER THAN YESTERDAY 03172025
1449 Words
March 17, 2025
12:44am
"I'm better than yesterday."
Thank You, Lord, for the victory every day. Today is Marlon's birthday, and I am excited about what You still want him to accomplish. Even though we are far from Marlon, Lord, You have always been there for him. Thank You so much for the provision and protection over his health, Lord. Sustain him completely through the challenges he is facing in life, knowing that he is battling alone without us by his side. You are always enough in his life and even in ours as a family. Whatever his prayers may be, Lord, let it be more of You and less of him. Yesterday, Lord, was truly a happy Sunday for me. Sorry that I was late again. It’s such a struggle to avoid being late, but at least I had someone to walk with on my way to church. We thought the praise and worship hadn’t started yet, but it turned out that they were already exhorting. Thank You also, Lord, for reminding me about obedience to You and to those in authority, especially the church leadership. It’s a struggle for many, especially when issues arise. People who choose to submit will be humble enough to accept mistakes and corrections—whether it's a pastor or any church leader giving counsel or disciplinary action to an individual. I’ve been through that many times, Lord. I fail many times, but I choose not to give up on my faith in You and my relationship with You as my personal Lord and Savior. I don’t want to remain just a congregation member in the church; I want to be a worker—someone who serves Your kingdom and helps share Your gospel in whatever way we can think of.
Ecclesiastes 7:10
10 Do not say,
“Why were the former days better than these?”
For you do not inquire wisely concerning this.
Every day, there are struggles and challenges, Lord, but they make us stronger than before, better than yesterday. I write down my past failures and even past victories to assess, Lord, where I am spiritually with You, with myself, and with those around me. I cannot improve myself alone, Lord. I may think I didn’t commit any sin during the day, but there are times when even just a small slip of the tongue reveals something wrong. Even in my thoughts—like that moment on the jeepney when I tried to protect myself from seeing a lady wearing a skirt by covering myself with my bag so I wouldn’t see underneath—it still lingered in my mind. Even just thinking about it makes me feel tempted to sin. It would have been easy to look again or imagine it repeatedly in my mind.
But every day, Lord, I choose to do what is right in Your eyes, no matter how much pleasure temptation might offer me. That’s why it’s hard to be alone at home because it triggers lustful thoughts and leads to sin that shouldn’t happen. Whether I have a partner or not, it’s really difficult when lust takes over me. But I thank You, Lord, for the victory yesterday when the very woman I had been thinking about greeted me after the morning service. I was so happy during the service hearing Your word and afterward spending quality time with her. I liked the feeling but kept in mind that we are just friends. I just wanted to enjoy the moment without awkwardness or letting my thoughts win over me. She did nothing wrong; neither did I—we are friends even though it’s not confirmed on social media. What matters more to me is our personal connection. And again, Lord, You reminded me of the assurance You gave me that everything is fine between us and no issues have occurred. The time will come when she will accept me as her friend on her social media accounts again. It was my fault for blocking and unfollowing her before. Lord, teach me always to do what is right, especially in handling relationships. Each person requires a different approach depending on their age, maturity level, and life circumstances. I cannot apply my usual way of doing things to everyone because forcing my preferences without trying to understand them would create conflict. Whether or not I have feelings for that person, I don’t want to dwell on the thought that I failed to do what was right for them—knowing that all I needed was to understand them and process what they were going through before making a move to help or even just listen to their situation. That’s why I depend on You, Holy Spirit, in everything I want to do—especially in relationships because they are critical and not easy at all. I know that my strength lies in welcoming and accommodating new people into my life, but maintaining consistency in following up and building good relationships is something I struggle with. At times, it makes me feel like I can’t handle it or that I become overly attached or even obsessive toward someone.
Reflecting on yesterday compared to today makes me realize how much better I can handle certain people now—even complicated ones—by responding appropriately to their situations. I have a friend in our Young Adults group who is struggling financially. I know how difficult that area can be because people often hesitate to help someone with monetary needs. Practically speaking, they choose selectively whom to help—and giving resources without expecting anything in return is really hard. For those who have more than enough resources, they can give freely or even beyond what is expected by others. But for those who don’t have much yet have a heart to give, they will find ways to help the person in need—giving whatever amount or thing they can provide to meet that person’s need. It’s really hard every day, Lord—especially facing people who you feel compelled to help or support. But as Christians, our attitude should go beyond that: giving even to those who don’t deserve it. There are times when we need discernment about whether someone is taking advantage of us or not. We need the Holy Spirit every day for things we struggle with when making decisions. However, it’s another issue if someone has no decision-making ability at all and becomes overly dependent on others.
To inquire wisely means having quality time with God—whether through prayer, fasting, or fellowship—we must choose quality time with Him. It’s easy enough to give time for God but we must ensure we give Him proper time regardless of whether we’re okay or not. We must humble ourselves before His presence and admit that we always need Him. As for my faithful friends now—I always choose to stay with them and remain open to correction from them. If they have any wrongdoings themselves, I will also be quick to correct them while being ready to listen to their side. I will forever be grateful for the leaders who guide me spiritually because they are one of the reasons why I grow stronger in life—even during difficult times that I cannot handle on my own.
I pray that we will always seek You, Lord—no matter how hard life gets. Being better than yesterday means always choosing You despite whatever happens in our lives. The more we admit our weakness, the more Your strength becomes evident in us—and we see Your goodness especially during times when we feel like there’s no chance left. I pray for those around me—that they become curious about You through my life testimony. Lord, I want them to experience a life where You are always present and they fully depend on You. As for the issues everywhere around us—I believe You will fix what needs fixing—even if it hurts—for the greater good because You are Lord over everything. We may not be happy with the process but we will appreciate the outcome knowing that by obeying You—the results are good. It may seem like defeat in the eyes of the enemy but actually, God has already won the battle for us—and instead of pitying ourselves—we should express gratitude toward God. Whatever we go through in life—teach us humility—to be more submissive to Your ways—and always depend on You for whatever needs applying in our lives. I LOVE YOU JESUS ❤️
- Writer
