Just do your best

 "Just do your best" is a mantra that I have taken on board pretty strongly. It is perhaps meant to mean, "It is okay if you don't get an A* in everything, just do your best."

But it can be pretty hard work always trying to do your best in everything. One has to prioritise and pick. Sport, music and art were all pretty much out of the question for me in terms of raw talent and didn't seem to matter anyway. But there were other ways to always do your best. I belonged to the Boys' Brigade and I could always ace my uniform and, cringe, there was a "Best Boy" Cup every year. 

Can I ever really do my best, though? I could have studied more. In some exams one could get 100%. But one could always write a better essay. 

And if my best was a C-, that was a bit depressing. Maybe better not to actually try very much. If I didn't really try, the results wouldn't touch the real me. Of course I could have done better if I'd wanted to. 

So, always do your best? Well, yes, maybe, but very broadly conceived. You cannot be the best at everything always and give everything maximum effort. 

There is much to be said for focused effort and expertise. But it can create monsters. If you want to win the Olympics, it will be an effort to include art, poetry, music, maths, reading, family and friends in your life. You have to choose. 

And one legitimate choice would be good all round balance. 

Always do your best. But what is the best? What matters most? We know the answer to that is to love God and love your neighbour. Not to ace every maths test, necessarily, if the duties of love need to come first. 

And the truth is your best will never be good enough. Maybe not for yourself. Maybe not for those you are trying to please. Imagine you win that Olympic Gold. Do you then win it again? How many times? In how many events? And are you doing your best in every area of life?

You may be The Archbishop of Canterbury, but you're not also The Lady Margaret Professor of Divinity. And your books sales, academic and blockbuster are weak. You don't have ANY Oscars. And you've never played piano at the Royal Albert Hall. 

Chasing money or success or the world's so called best really is a fool's errand. What could ever satisfy? There is always better there tempting you to a bit more effort and focus, or idol worship, as we like to call it in pastoral ministry.

 So you best give up!

Only Jesus is the best and always did the best. 

Your acceptance, affirmation, approval and many other a-words, are only to be found in him, by the undeserved grace of God. God loves and forgives you as you are. He like you, his child and heir. You don't have to win his love. Or work to keep it. Or pay it back. Or prove worthy of it. Or anything like that. 

The best would be a grateful acceptance of the grace of God which sets us free to serve in the best way possible. 

This is another reason why we need a good sabbath. There is a day a week which is THE BEST, which is not about DOING YOUR BEST but RECIEVING GOD'S BEST AS A GIFT. 

Best blessings to you.