Do your best!-In His Word
Are you living your life in a way that is pleasing to the Lord?
Are you struggling to do everything you think
you need to do please Him? Maybe you tried to be so good and perfect that you
were tired out burned out, and during the reprieve of the Covid years you just
quit going out to church because it was just too hard to measure up.
First
let me ask you a serious question; who are you trying to measure up to? Is it the person God wants you to be or
man? Sometimes we get confused. We are
told to serve, serve, serve, and though service is good it is not all about the
serve time. You need to be sure you take time to refresh. Even Jesus did this!
If
Jesus had not sat down by Himself at the well the woman would not hve come to where
He was. Sure, she would have gotten her water but if Jesus had not taken the
break and sent the disciples to go find food and such, while He rested, he
would not have been in the place to reach this woman. He knew that and placed
Himself in a place to be able to reach her. She did her best to listen to Him
then she went and told everyone what Jesus had shared and who He was.
Keep
reminding God’s people of these things. Warn them before God against quarreling
about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen. Do your best
to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be
ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. Avoid godless chatter because those who
indulge in it will become more and more ungodly. Their teaching will spread
like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, 18 who have departed from
the truth. They say that the resurrection has already taken place, and they
destroy the faith of some. Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm,
sealed with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and,
“Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.” 2
Timothy 2:14-19
For
I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who
sent me. 3And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of
all those he has given me but raise them up at the last day. 40 For my Father’s
will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have
eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.” John 6:38-40
Jesus
took the time to do His best for us, and so we should do our best for Him. The
thing is when we get burned out or tired of working in a ministry it is no
longer possible to do our best. That’s when our best becomes a burden and less
best and more just enough.
While
it is sometimes okay to just get by, it is not how God works with us.
He
said come to Him, all who are weary and heavy burdened, and He would give us
rest.
Jesus
answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a
drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” John 4:2-26
Just
as Jesus took the time to teach the woman how to be saved, so He takes the time
with us. Then we can try out best to
please Him but without the Holy Spirit we never will.
We
can try to please Him but as long as we are doing it for other people instead
of for His glory, we will not do our best.
In
the past I worked at a job, or served in ministries that I put my all in, some
worked out well because I kept the faith in who I was serving, it was God’s
will. The ones I failed at were more because Teresa thought she should do
something and so she walked into it. I tried my best but failed.
When
this happens, we need to ask ourselves if we are truly doing our best if its
not about Him? Even if it’s a ‘good reason’ to help and serve, if its not about
Him its going to be failure and not our best.
Hopefully
you are getting the idea here that we want to check with God first to know what
He wants for us, then we are able to do
our best to present ourselves as one approved by God who correctly handles the
Word and truth. We do not get grumbly or
complain. We do not stress over doing it, but instead we follow His example and
iin doing this we become more godly instead of the other way around. If you
find yourself complaining, ask God why, how can you change it. Then take a
moment or two to listen for His answer.
It
may not be in the storm, the wind or the sea, it may be in the still small
voice that tells you to stop doing that thing and take a break!
Let’s
challenge ourselves today to assess our motives to be sure they are pure and
holy, be sure that we are doing the God thing.
Our
best is after all, His best.
Ask
God today to show you how to walk in His Word, doing our best to do His will,
In His love.