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Monday and Tuesday of this week I had an incredible opportunity. I attended the “Better Conference” in Lewisville Texas. This is a conference for preachers to attend, make new connections, and learn how we can be better in ministry. I am truly thankful for this conferences, as well as those who put it together and made it possible.

I want to be better.

I need to be a better Christian:

There are times in my life when I am weak. I occasionally find myself battling with greed or being discontent. I think about my prayer life and my study habits and I cannot think of a word that describes them better than”inconsistent”. There are things that I know I shouldn’t do, but I do. There are things that I know I should do, that I don’t. I want to be better.

I need to be a better husband:

I am convinced that my wife it one of the most amazing people on the planet. She teaches Bible classes,mine is a coordinator for our younger age groups at Northwest, she cooks, she cleans, she takes car of our children, she teaches our children, she plans parties and events, she loves me. I think about all the things that the great woman does and has done for me, and I can not help but think, “I want to be better.”

I need to be a better father:

My precious children hold my heart. When I returned home from the conference, they wrapped their arms around me and screamed, “Daddy! We missed you!” When they are misbehaving, I discipline them, and then try to determine where they picked up this behavior. It would be a lie to say that I have never realized they picked that behavior up from their dad. I desperately want them to be in Heaven. There are some days that I forget to talk to them about God. There are days that we didn’t open our Bible to share a lesson from God’s Word. I want to be better.

I need to be a better minister:

My first day in the office of my first position in ministry was exciting. I dressed up in my finest clothes, I even carried a briefcase. (Not sure if anything was in it, I was just trying to be professional at the age of 19). I remember knowing that I would not be able to “save everybody” however, I thought I would come pretty close to it. Throughout the years I have struggled with being consistent in my preparation, study for Bible classes and sermons. I am not always as involved in the lives of the people the way I want to be. I don’t teach or preach as effectively as I want to. I want to be better.

How about you? In 1 Thess 4:1 we read where there was a congregation who was doing good things, but it wasn’t enough. They were encouraged to “excel still more” in other words, “Do better.”

What areas of life can you improve in? Are we growing as Christians, or just trying to maintain what we have already accomplished? May I challenge you, as I have been challenged to “do better.” Pick one or two specific things that you know you can improve in your life to better glorify God, and then, do better