CHAPTER 15: DOING BETTER THAN YOUR BEST 2025
Anybody ever been to prison ministry? Anybody ever been to AA meeting, or some kind of recovery outreach program? Anybody been to a youth or children’s ministry through the church? If you have, then you know that people are sad, disappointed, hurt, mad, confused, “blameful” if that’s a word, any myriad of other descriptive words that caused whatever consequence. The overwhelming reason for all of it, given is the following statement.
“I was just doing the best I could.”
I, completely understand that statement. I relate to that statement. I am that statement.
There but for the grace of God, go I.
Obviously it is impossible for my best to do anything that doesn’t destroy me. Only in the grace of God can I do better. Only. Absolutely only.
Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways
submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.
To survive me and this world I need a supernatural solution. Solomon said that everything comes from vanity. I believe that.
Ecclesiastes 4:4 And I saw that all toil and all achievement spring from one person’s envy of another. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
All that is true and that is life without God, that was the point Solomon made. With God, all things are possible including personal relevance in the Lord, because of the Lord.
John 14:6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
However, the challenge is the learning curve isn’t it? From selfish to selfless. Rough path for sure. This I have learned about myself and about well, just about all of us, probably even Ghandi. You see without God, I’m motivated by greed, envy, and the likes of such behavior. The following is a quote by I don’t know who, but it works pretty good for “doing your best”, which is not very good.
“Lust for personal gain (covetousness) is in direct opposition to the unselfish devotion to God and must inevitable destroy the person who succumbs to it. Perhaps its most disastrous result is its tendency to dull the hearing of God’s Word.”
Doing better than my best requires God and with God, I’m much more inclined to help situations, perhaps solutions, and hopefully a curiosity of scripture and all that would bring. However, starting down that path does cause doubt. Why? The world is against it and as I’m happy with the discovery of the Lord Jesus, the world in me feels impossible. Fear not. With Him, we can beat it.
Psalm 46:10 He says, “Be still, and know that I am God.. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”
Ephesians 3:20-21 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us..
I have seen God stand against the forces of chaos in the lives of many including mine. Jesus has definitely forgiven my sins and thereby assured my place in heaven, right? Challenging to embrace such a huge concept. I work on that and even though there is nothing to add to that, meaning I can’t do anything more, Jesus did it all, but I do want to be helpful, thankful and He makes it easier to do that.
John 14:15-16 “If you love Me, [a]keep My commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another [b]Helper, that He may abide with you forever—
He sends the Holy Spirit to help me do better than my best. I begin to understand helping Jesus, giving thanks for the blood of Christ requires I pray for strength.
1 Peter 5:8-9 Be [a]sober, be [b]vigilant; [c]because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.
In the book of Luke there is a story of a loving father, having a sick child. The man pleaded with Jesus to heal the boy. Without Christ, I’m a cell phone without a charger, a Maserati without gas, a flashlight without batteries.
Mark 9:23-24 Jesus said to him, “If[a] you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” 24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”
That is me. “Lord, I do believe, help my unbelief!” What happened to the guy who clearly made the prayer that spoke to me? I think he was saying what I’m talking about, right? “Help me God be better than my best, please help me.” So, what happened?
Mark 9: 25 When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the impure spirit. “You deaf and mute spirit,” he said, “I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.”
26 The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, “He’s dead.” 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up.
Everything is a choice, I choose, you choose.
—Joshua 24:15 NLT “But if you refuse to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.”
Matthew 22:14 King James Version
14 For many are called, but few are chosen.
I’ve witnessed people do better than their best, and then sadly I’ve seen them slip back to just their best, and may I remind us all, you’re very best thinking got you into every single mess of your life, you’re very, very best thinking ultimately leaving an individual lost, set adrift, and incapable. Really, it’s not a good picture and is very scary. I’ve coined a phrase that describes those who lost the battle of partnering with God.
“The memory of being special, without being special anymore.”
Titus 1:9 He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound[b] doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.
What’s the lesson. Better than my best, no matter how difficult, how challenging, painful or uncomfortable. “Thank you, Jesus for the challenge, may I push through with the power of the Holy Spirit in all matters that come before me on this path.”
Philippians 1:19 – “for I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayers and the provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,”
And then there’s the dimension jumpers. Gotta do everything today to prepare for tomorrow. The is a problem with that kind of thinking. While thinking of the future, the present suffers.
James 4:13-14 Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” 14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.
Dimension jumpers all of us. Always jumping into the future planning for our what? Global domination? Catch up with the Jones’? Stay in the now with the Lord and let Him lead.
Matthew 6:33-34 But seek first the kingdom of God[a] and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you. 34 Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Traps and Blessings, they look the same up front, but they’re not. God gives me what I need. I push and push and push to give me what I want. Think about that, let it sink in.
Proverbs 12:15 The way of fools seems right to them,
but the wise listen to advice.
“Origin of Failure,” I call it, where my very best creates a scenario that sends me off the deep end. A little tiny adjustment that takes me away from the correct road. I might not even know I’ve done it. I remember the story of Samson, he took his arrogance too far. He made just a little mistake, a little adjustment, a small manipulation to get the girl he wanted. She was the wrong girl for sure and God knew it. Didn’t stop Samson. Does that remind you of anybody you know, like maybe the man in the mirror? Whatever the want, the yield of want generally ain’t so good. The world of need, left to God, will come to pass. As for Samson, scripture said, “he did not know God had left him.” Ouch, that is a scary, scary scripture.
John 16:33 These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you [a]will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
My brain is a dangerous neighborhood, I never want to go in there alone. Beware of the voices in your head. There are two, the voice of Reason, and the voice of Treason. God and not God. Don’t think of yourself and smart or clever, that is thin ice I would say, I’ve seen it too many times and as it approaches me or my constituents, I see it for what it is. And what it is, pure and simple, “the wrong path.”
1 Corinthians 1:19 – “For it is written, “I WILL DESTROY THE WISDOM OF THE WISE, AND THE CLEVERNESS OF THE CLEVER I WILL SET ASIDE.””
Psalm 37:7-8 Be patient and wait for the Lord to act; don’t be worried about those who prosper or those who succeed in their evil plans. Don’t give in to worry or anger; it only leads to trouble.
Job 4:16-17 A form stood before my eyes, and I heard a hushed voice: ‘Can a mortal be more righteous than God? Can even a strong man be more pure than his Maker?
The answer is no. No one can compete with the righteousness or purity of God. Satan fell from Heaven with such thoughts. His very best, was incredibly unfortunate. You and I have the option and direction to use the gifts God has given each of us for the Glory of Him who presides over us all. Timothy, Luke and Peter spoke of such wonderful things.
2 Timothy 1:6 This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you.
Luke 12:15 And He said to them, “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.”
1 Peter 4:10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.
Chapter 15, Doing Better Than Your Best 2025.
“To be delivered from the hand of fate, into the hand of Destiny.”
Amen…
