They Did Their Best, ?

I’ve heard it said several times, “they did their best” or “they worked with what they knew”, but did they honestly do their best? I didn’t. I am a selfish and arrogant person and I sin everyday. The only ‘good’ we can do that is ‘good’ in God’s eyes, is the good we do when He is working through us by His Spirit. 

So, have Christians done their best? NO.

We are incapable. First we need salvation because we are destined to eternal punishment. Acknowledging and believing that we are sinners, that we are deserving of punishment, that Jesus Christ already paid that price and then accepting His gift of grace, is salvation. Yay! Are we saved from eternal punishment then? Yes. Are we still sinners? Yes. Wait?!? What? Yes, we all sin everyday, up until we die. 

The Holy Spirit indwells in us upon salvation and God can work through His Spirit through us to accomplish His will and bring glory to Himself. That is our whole purpose…to be used by God for His purpose.

So, what if we do 100 really good things all before breakfast?? Even after breakfast? Does God give extra credit? Nope. This is just human good. Unless HE is guiding you by HIS HOLY SPIRIT, nothing we do by our own volition will prosper.

Did I do my best as a kid?, as a parent?, as a wife?, as a daughter?, as a sister?, as a friend? NO. There are many good things I have done. Many prayers that I have prayed. Many actions that were inspired and led by God but so many were not. I was selfish and arrogant. 

That is reality. We are ALL selfish and arrogant, all wanting what we want. We don’t want to hear our guilt or shame. We want what we want. Did our kids or family or friends get in the way sometimes of what we wanted? Absolutely! Did we react in anger? Self-pity? More arrogance? Jealousy? Depression? These are all sins too! 

What are we to do??? It’s really quite simple, as everything with God is…just confess your sin to God to allow the Holy Spirit to keep working through you. 

1Jo 1:8-10 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

The ONLY way to achieve ‘best’ as Believers, is to stay in His Word, learn doctrine, and continually confess our sin.

It’s not us giving our best or doing our best..’best is only achieved by God working through us.

Most times when I hear someone say, “they did their best”, did they? Or are we just masking our own shortcomings? Justifying our own arrogance and lack?

Awhile back, my brother recommended a book to me about lost manhood, I think it was called, and within the first couple of pages, I was greatly impressed by the author’s position. He declared and challenged men, and women, to start calling a sin, a sin. No more tip-toeing. No more clever labels. No more sugar-coating. 

If a man or woman falls short and fails in some areas of life, should we cover it up? Lie? Accentuate the positives? OR Be real…they are a sinner! Great, we all are! It is stating a fact. 

True fruit only comes from work done by the Holy Spirit through you. We have the Word of God and the Holy Spirit. If we are not showing fruit, the Holy Spirit is NOT working through us. A man or woman can be saved but not have the Spirit working through him. Then, we must call sin a sin.

So, be a jerk or be a sweetheart, if you’re saved then you’re saved. BUT if you don’t confess your ongoing sin, God is not working through you or in you.

Read again..God is not working through you or in you. ANYTHING you do outside His will is only human good and you are doing it out of your own arrogance and pride.

Did I fail as a mother? No. Do I have failures as a mother? Absolutely! 

Do I sin? Yes. Should my sin be ignored? No. 

Has God worked in my life? YES! Can I take credit for any of it? No.

Have I done my best? NO! Has God brought about His best in me? I’m a work in progress 🙂

~M