My best isn't good enough

Have you ever felt like you were giving your best effort, but that effort was not good enough? How frustrating! I remember in my undergraduate work in college taking a Business Law class. I once had aspirations to be a lawyer, so I was extremely excited about the content. We were going to spend much of our time studying contracts. I happily went to class, did the homework, engaged in the discussions, studied hard, and when I took the tests, I repeatedly received low grades - mostly Ds to be exact. This was uncommon for me. I'm not proud of this, but I must honestly admit that at that point in my life, I typically only put in a little work and received As and Bs, so this was a different experience for me. I was working hard - giving my best - and almost failing the course. Consequently, I took the course again with a different teacher and I'm glad to report I received an A the 2nd time around - but, I think I learned more from the D.

What a life lesson! There are days now where I feel like I felt in that Business Law class while engaging in ministry, administration, career, fatherhood, marriage, etc. While passionate about what I'm doing, sometimes my best just isn't good enough. Sometimes I don't have enough time, knowledge, energy, or experience and some things fall short and go undone. So, what do you do when your best isn't good enough? I have three suggestions:

1. Know that you're in good company.

Throughout the bible and throughout history we find many stories of great individual success stories that often eclipse the back-stories of extreme failure in the same individual. We could run down the list of amazing failures who we know as amazing successes, but you've seen all of that before. The takeaway is that you cannot learn to be great without experiencing some failure. Strength is born out of struggle. So, even if you feel like your best is not enough and you're falling short, know that you're in good company.   

Romans 3:23 (NKJV) confirms this truth when it states, "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."  

2. Don't stop trying.

This, or some variation - don't give up, keep going, try again, etc. - seems to be the advice that I tend to default to in almost every situation. We can't afford to give up. I've heard it said that "failure is not an option." I beg to differ, failure is absolutely an option - an option that I have found myself selecting time and time again. What is not optional when tasked with accomplishing a task God has asked you to do is quitting! You may fail, but you cannot quit. It can be so frustrating to give your all and still not measure up to what is needed, but that does not give you an excuse to stop giving your all. When the good effort that we offer doesn't work, we have a tendency to stop offering good effort. Don't get lazy! Don't let your frustration stop your efforts. 

Galatians 6:9 (KJV) validates this advice as it encourages: "let us not be weary in well doing; for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not."

3. Stop relying on your best.

This final advice is humbling, yet eventually encouraging to grasp. Left alone to our own abilities, we are likely to fail over and over again. It is not until we allow God to add His extra to our ordinary - His super to our natural - His above to our average, that we will ever be able to fulfill the purposes of God in our lives. God loves to use insufficient people, organizations, systems, processes, places, and things. Using something that is not enough on its own demonstrates His greatness. When God uses me with all of my issues, it communicates to those who know me that it must be God at work. God is not intimidated by our issues, shortcomings, struggles, or weaknesses. So, today I challenge you to offer your best, but rely on God's best - His anointing, which gives us the ability to do what we could not do on our own. 

Here are a few NKJV scriptures to reinforce your reliance on God rather than self:

• 2 Corinthians 12:9: And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness."
• Philippians 4:13: I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
• Matthew 19:26: But, Jesus looked at them and said to them, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."

Submitted by: Pastor Razel Jones