God Demands Your Best
Tuesday, December 19, 2017 at 12:02PM 
“And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more.” Philippians 1:9
God goes above and beyond the expectations of man. Even the poorest among us can do more than can be expected, even after comparing them to the greatest works of others. The operative word is MORE. God does more, God wants us to do more. More is a comparative word. We do not judge our best by an arbitrary standard, but by the little word, MORE. BEST and MORE are intrinsic to each other. So, are you doing your best at what you do, or do you settle for mediocrity? Who’s counting? You may think it’s not anyone else’s business. Well, it really is a concern for all of us. If no one does their best, then the whole community, the whole family, the whole church is dramatically affected. The phrase “doing your best” has become clichéd. We now reward mediocrity and non-achievement so much that that exactly what society has produced. Our best is called our best even when it is hardly more than our worst. We’ve labeled our nothings as somethings until we have managed to fool ourselves into thinking it is true.
Doing our best has come to mean just getting by. Minimums have become maximums. Many have lowered their standards, not to make them better, but to make them easier to reach. But, the strangest and most ironic thing is that while we accept the lower standards for ourselves, we demand higher standards in others. We all want the best brain surgeons, airplane pilots, financial advisors and building ontractors. True?
God has a judgment system in place. “Each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is.” 1 Corinthians 3:12-15. Don’t resent being compared to anyone else. God is looking at the kind of sacrifice you give to Him. “By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts.” Hebrews 11:4. More excellent? Than who? Cain, his brother.
Once, Israel was under siege and King Joash went to Elisha for advice. Elisha told him to take some arrows and strike them on the floor. Joash struck three times. Elisha was angry. “You should have struck five or six times; then you would have struck Syria till you had destroyed it!” 2 Kings 13:19. What did Joash do wrong? The prophet didn’t tell him how many times to strike the ground with the arrows. How was Joash supposed to know? The mistake was that Joash did just enough to get by. You may be saying that your reward is up to God. You may think that it is all written down ahead of time. You may think that God already knows the outcome and there is nothing you can do about it. Not true.
This incident tells me something different. What happens to you in your life and in your relationship to God is more about your response to the opportunities that God has given you than in some predetermined result that is out of your control. The true servant’s heart always leans toward MORE! “And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two.” Matthew 5:41. Do more than is expected; more than is required. Just a little more praying, fasting, reading, sacrificing, giving, worshipping, loving, witnessing, serving, believing, teaching and helping. (KJV). It’s up to you to emulate God’s example. “Many, O LORD my God, are Your wonderful works Which You have done.” Psalm 40:5
Reader Comments (1)
I love the expounding of God's Word. As Peter says of Paul, " ..... in which are some things hard to understand ..... ". Thank God for men of God who have His Spirit!!!