What Do You Need To Do To Get Ready?

What do you need to get ready to mature - grow - change - and finish well? What does “finishing well” look like to you? It’s my entire mantra - “You Finishing Well”.

To make it more spiritual, what if Jesus walked into your life today, not as a concept, not as a belief, but as King? Would He find a clear path… stay with me on this - let’s look at the thing that needs to change in your life.

How familiar are you with John the Baptist? Luke points us back to Isaiah and introduces John the Baptist as “a voice calling in the wilderness.”

His message is simple but profound: “Prepare the way for the Lord. Not physically, but spiritually. Not outwardly, but internally.

This is about getting your heart ready for the arrival of God.

Let me super clear. You and I don’t need to be clean for God to arrive in our life. But we do need to be ready. So what does that mean? it means “preparation”.

In ancient times, when a king was coming, workers would clear the roads, remove obstacles, and make the path smooth. John takes that image and turns it inward.

Your life is the road. And something needs to be cleared. Said another way, it’s time to confess, be honest, come clean and admit where you need to grow. Otherwise, God won’t grow you. You can’t grow in an area that’s not surrendered and ready to release.

The Apostle Luke wrote:

“As it is written in the book of Isaiah the prophet: “This is a voice of one who calls out in the desert: ‘Prepare the way for the Lord. Make the road straight for him. Every valley should be filled in, and every mountain and hill should be made flat. Roads with turns should be made straight, and rough roads should be made smooth. And all people will know about the salvation of God!” (Luke‬ ‭3‬:‭4‬-‭6‬ ‭NCV‬‬)

Aren’t you tired of that thing that just won’t change and improve?

So what does this mean? How do you prepare the way for the Lord?

“Every valley should be filled in.”

Those are your low places, shame, discouragement, insecurity, quiet hopelessness. The places where you feel not enough, worn down, or stuck. God doesn’t ignore those places. He lifts them. He restores what feels sunken.

“Every mountain and hill should be made flat.”

Those are your high places, pride, control, self-reliance, the refusal to surrender. The places that make you hard to reach. God doesn’t go around your pride. He brings it down.

“Roads with turns should be made straight.”

That’s the crooked life, compromise, hidden sin, saying one thing and living another. God is not interested in appearances. He’s after alignment. Truth. Integrity.

“Rough roads should be made smooth.”

That’s the hardened heart, bitterness, anger, unforgiveness. Life can make us rough. Pain can make us sharp. But God wants to soften what’s been hardened so He can move freely in you.

Here’s what’s powerful: the same God who lowers mountains also raises valleys. He doesn’t just confront your sin, He heals your wounds and the areas “you are ready” to change.

The question is: “Are you ready?”

He doesn’t just call you out, He lifts you up, gives you what you never possessed. You have a new strength and purpose.

He helps you as you prepare the way.

This is not about becoming perfect before Jesus shows up. It’s about becoming honest. It’s about removing the resistance.

It’s about saying, “Lord, I’m done just believing in You, I’m making room for You”, I’m ready to change, grow, live and love you and others and myself, differently.

So ask yourself:

Where is my mountain? Where is my valley? What in me is crooked? What in me has become rough?

Because Jesus is not looking for a perfect road. He’s looking for a willing one. I think we need to stop routinely and really look at our life. For me?

Here I am, older than I ever have been - still talking too much, still rude and crude, short patience, quick tempered and sometimes just a real smart-alec. I mean it’s a bit embarrassing at my age.

I desire to finish well. To grow, to stop the bad habits, to be more clean, more pure, more mature - all for the right reasons. And to enjoy more peace and help others better. I want to be a good model, honor God and look more like Jesus Christ.

Not every day - it should be every day - I want to keep preparing, continue to get ready for the arrival. No, I’ll never be perfect, and you won’t either.

But I’ll draw a line in the sand today, write “start” and at least try to finish well. And when I screw up - and I will, I’ll just draw another. And I’m looking back right now. I see all those lines. I’m still not where I want to be - but I’m not where I was.

Thank you Lord for that …

John’s voice still echoes today: Clear the path. Make room. The King is coming. Are you willing to prepare and get ready?

GOD, you already see what’s in me, the valleys I’ve been hiding in, the mountains I’ve been standing on, the crooked places I’ve tried to keep out of sight, and the rough edges that pain has left behind. I don’t want to just believe in You anymore. I want to make room for You and actually walk with you and become like you. So, I ask you to fill what’s been emptied in me. Bring down what I’ve been too proud to release. Straighten what I’ve allowed to drift. And soften what life has hardened. I’m not coming to You perfect. I’m coming to You willing. As the old hym says: “I surrender all.” Help me, save me, grow me please. IJNIP amen ♥️