My Best Is Not Good Enough

Have you heard someone proclaim, “I’m doing my best!”? Maybe you’ve even heard it coming out of your own mouth. Sadly, I have some really bad news. Your best isn’t good enough. It never will be. Christ’s Life is the only satisfactory Life in this life. His Life is the only life that satisfies our Father and Creator. But the good news is, we have access to that Life. If we are born again, the Life of the Son of God is available to us—NOW. We can witness His Life in us as us, today.

Trying to Give My Best

As someone who has endlessly “tried” to no avail, this is wondrous news. It might not always prevent me from continuing to try (oops), but it does bring me to tremendous peace when I am in my right mind. No, my best isn’t good enough but His Life is my best. Not only is His Life my absolute best, it is also for my perfect good. His Life satisfies the Father for now and throughout all eternity! My attempts just tempt me to think I actually can live independently of God and apart from His Life.

The fruits of doing my best are frustration, bitterness, anger, exhaustion, depression and the list goes on and on. Think about when you hear the statement, “I’m doing my best!” Is it delivered in joy or fulfillment? No, it is usually whipped out like a defense. It is usually paired with a phrase like this: “What do you want from me, I’m doing my best!” Deep inside we know our best isn’t good enough. But Christ answered this concern. “No, your best isn’t good enough, but My Life IS.”

My Best is His Life

This life is a continual process of proving that we cannot do it on our own. As evidenced in our first parents (Adam and Eve), then through Israel’s struggle, and on to the New Testament Beatitude requirements on our lives, we really can’t do it. We can do none of it! We were never designed to manhandle this life on our own. Our effort is blasphemy because it feeds into the first lies stated in the Garden. “We don’t have what we need, God doesn’t care about us, and there are no consequences for our doing it independently of God.”

My best is His Life, not my own. What an absolute relief! I have witnessed many times a particular abuse perpetrated on children. Parents giving their child the responsibility to manage their little lives. These parents irresponsibly neglect to actually parent, which is abusive. It’s abusive because it heaps on the child a weight they’re not able to carry. Yet our divine Parent doesn’t do this to His children. He truly parents us by not only directing us but also giving us the Life that performs His directions.

The rebellion of doing my best is just needless and foolish. Christ has alleviated the stress and anxiety of doing my best by being my Best. He doesn’t tie upon me unnecessary burdens and undue angst. He is the Solution which the Father requires.