WHAT IS MOST IMPORTANT TO ME?

I have come to learn that for me the most important thing is to give my very best…

Good-Better-Best never let it rest;

until the Good is Better,

and the Better is the Best!

Those words were given to me when I was in elementary school by one of my teachers; I have never forgotten them.

I was a good kid.  I didn’t like the consequences.  I only had two spankings in my entire life, but they left an impression that made them sufficient.  I was content with good and moments of better and best.  When I became a Christian in 1959 my desire was to be the best Christian I could be.  It wasn’t long before good was enough when compared to others. 

Twenty years later a personal and spiritual crisis brought me to examining my life.  Along the way, my goodness met temptations I was not strong enough to resist, and I fell.  My good was not enough; it never is!  I began to see that being content with doing good had kept me from the best that God had planned and created me for; and they are lost, I can’t get them back.  As I confessed my sins, I desired a new life and prayed:  “LORD, I WANT TO BE THE BEST ME FOR YOU THAT I CAN BE.”  I emphasized every word because I no longer wanted to be better than anyone, I just want to know that I can be the best “me…for God” fulfilling my purpose as He created “me.”

What I didn’t know when I prayed that prayer was that God would take me seriously and started the wheels turning to bring me what I had asked.  I had expected Him to just zap me into this wonderful person.   To my shock and disappointment, He began to remove EVERYTHING in my life that wasn’t my best for Him! 

After two years of living in a depression and wanting to die every day, I realized that I was tired of being miserable and asked God to make me bloom in the place where He had planted me.   He began to work EVERYTHING into my life that I needed to be my best for Him.

Twenty years of breaking, guiding, teaching, training, and working EVERYTHING in my life together for Him, I know Romans 8:28 is more than a promise God fulfills, it is a lifestyle to those who love God.

Don’t get the wrong idea by that statement.  I know that God is in control of EVERYTHING and He is working it all together for good, but I also struggled with His ways.  The last thing to let go of is SELF!  We like to do our own good, better, best expecting Him to bless our efforts.  Our best for Him will always bring HIM glory!  New examination:  Am I doing my best…for Him or for me?

About 5 or 6 years ago, I watched Facing the Giants movie and it had a life-changing effect on me.

The main revelation was that I realized I had never given God my best; I have never given until I could give no more!  The characters in this movie demonstrated and emphasized so beautifully that doing your very best until you can do no more was doing it to honor God, whether you win or lose; whether He gives you what you want or not!

My best for Him has become my very best for His glory!  “Whether you eat or drink or whatsoever you do, do all to the glory of God.”(I Corinthians 10:31)

I can only give my very best by the power of The Holy Spirit.  When I have done all that I can and I need help, then if I ask Him, He will help me to give my very best.  He expects me to do all that I can, and He will do what I can’t!  It will ALWAYS give Him glory, and I am always to praise Him by acknowledging that my best was because He is my Helper!  (Hebrews 13:5-6)

I recently watched another movie that reinforced giving your very best also.   Christmas Cottage is about Thomas Kinkade’s beginning with painting.  His teacher told him to never paint a picture that was not his very best!  His best was showing light and love with love as the brightest light of all.

I am determined to be absolutely and entirely for Him and for Him alone.

“My eager desire and hope being that I may never feel ashamed,

but that now as ever I may do honour to Christ in my own person by fearless courage.”

(Philippians 1:20 Moffat)

Lord, thank You for Your Spirit living in me.  Make it a reality in my life that I can be absolutely and entirely for You and You alone.  I want nothing to keep me from doing exactly what You have planned.  My absolute very best is Your Spirit living in me accomplishing my purpose as You created and gifted me.  May we breathe together for Your Glory.