My dad used to always encourage me to do my best. He would say, “Son, if you are playing a basketball game and you don’t leave the game with at least three fouls, you probably didn’t play hard enough. You probably didn’t take enough chances. You can’t always be the best, but you can always do your best.” When I think of the effort he was describing I think of Paul’s words in Colossians 3:23 where Paul wrote to the church, “Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men.”

Paul was encouraging the church to always do their best. And why wouldn’t we? We have received the best! We have received the love, the mercy and the grace of God. We know of His goodness, His kindness and His provision. We should offer our best in everything we do and in the midst of every circumstance. Certainly we will make some mistakes and we will have our “fouls” in this life but we should definitely offer our best in everything situation. We represent the Lord God and we do not want to provide a poor or misguided representation. Join me in asking the Lord to help us give our best this week when it comes to working and playing, to living and loving, and most certainly when it comes to forgiving others.