… but every good opportunity deserves prayer and careful consideration to determine whether or not it is the best of use of the time and talents God has given you. ~ Erin @ Home with the Boys
Okay, I’ve typed and deleted this post twice. It’s hard to talk about this because it’s become such a cliche. I’m pretty sure I’ve heard this statement or some variation at every conference I’ve attended in the past couple of years: Be confident in choosing best over good in your life.
Y’all, I believe in those words. I have spoken them myself … at conferences in the past two years. There is truth in the sentiment.
But, see, here’s what I’m finding lately, sometimes it is really hard to know what’s best and what’s good. We make it sound easier than it is — as if the decisions we face in life were all as simple as choosing baked chicken over fried. Life is rarely so cut and dry.
This is what I know, there are days when driving through for fast food on the way home from watching our girl cheer at two games is the best choice for us. And sometimes, that texting conversation where I get to encourage a friend who is struggling is more important than checking off the quiet time box on my daily planner.
I guess what I’m saying is this, I can’t give you a list of what’s best … I can’t even always make a list of best for myself. I know what ought to be on the list: relationship with God, marriage, my daughter, serving others, etc. But I get tripped up sometimes when two bests are competing for the same time slot in my life. It’s not easy, this choice to live well. And it’s not always easy to choose best over good. That’s why I’m leaning into verses like this lately:
So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31
And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Colossians 3:17
Part of my heart’s desire with this series is to give you permission to live well. And, maybe, there are a few of you who struggle with knowing what’s best and how to choose it. What if the standard wasn’t choosing best over good? What if we made the decision to prayerfully consider how we spend our time and then do all we do for the glory of God? What if we stopped looking around to see what everyone else thinks about how we parent or what we eat or which Bible study we’re doing and instead made our focus to do everything — good, better, and best — in such a way as to make His name known?
There isn’t a magic formula. There isn’t a perfect plan. There isn’t a tried and true recipe for success. There is simply this: prayer and surrender. Whatever follows that is best.
Have you ever struggled to know what is good and what is best in your life? How did you choose?
I hope you are finding this series encouraging and useful. If you haven’t go ahead and subscribe to make sure you receive each day’s post in your inbox. See you tomorrow!
Oh and all my 31 Days of Living Well posts will indexed here. Just in case you want to bookmark that page for easy reference.
“What if we stopped looking around to see what everyone else thinks about how we parent or what we eat or which Bible study we’re doing and instead made our focus to do everything — good, better, and best — in such a way as to make His name known?”
Amen!! Why do we not all do this? Because the world gets in our way and we all start out on our knees, hands raised ready to be filled with His blessings for the day and then the daughters didn’t get invited to such and such event or someone picked at their clothing choice or snarled their nose at their awkward sense of humor and our hands lower…someone makes a remark about how much weight we’ve gained or that we look tired and our heads lower…we step on someone’s toes with our latest bible study and begin to wonder if we made the right choice after all and we get up off our knees. By days end we feel defeated because we let the world in and lost our focus. But you know what? The more time I spend with my savior the stronger I become and the less I am bothered by the world. So Teri Lynne I will stop looking around to see what others think and I will give my best because my Father is already pleased with me!
Sheryl, you bless me so much! And yes … it’s looking around at people that causes us to stop looking at the Lord.
Yes yes yes yes YES. I love this.
Oh Pattie! I’m so glad!! I have much, much more to say on this topic … perhaps enough to fill a book??
Awaiting it’s release!! 😉
Well, if anyone can write a book about it, it’s you 🙂
Thank you! As always you speak to my heart. And, yesterday when we were at the orthodontist during lunch and a choir performance during dinner, I surrendered the notion of my idea of dinner and let Torchy’s Tacos and Mighty Fine Burgers do a little of the heavy lifting for me. 😉
In my surrendering, I pray, Lord edit my life. Because when we are blessed to have so much good, it’s hard to know how He desires to use us for great. And the only way to know is to ask. {And, then listen. Girl, do another post on listening!}
Yes! This is such an important topic. I have such a hard time choosing what’s best. I’m learning to lean into the Holy Spirit for daily wisdom. Sometimes it’s the big picture things. But sometimes it’s just about how I spend my time each day. Daily prayer and surrender and whatever follows is best. Yes!! Thank you for this discussion Teri Lynne. So helpful!!