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Your
Best
Cathy
Rigby was a member of the U.S. Women's Gymnastics Team
in the 1972 Olympics at Munich, and she had only one
goal in mind – to win a gold medal. She had trained
hard over a long period. On the day she was scheduled
to perform, she prayed for the strength and the
control to get through her routine without making
mistakes. She was tense with determination not to let
herself or her country down. She performed well, but
when it was all over and the winners were announced,
her name was not among them. Cathy was crushed.
Afterward, she joined her parents in the stands all
set for a good cry. As she sat down, she could barely
manage to say, "I'm sorry. I did my best."
"You
know that, and I know that," her mother said,
"and I'm sure God knows that too."
Then,
Cathy recalls, her mother said 10 words that she has
never forgotten:
"Doing your best is more important
than being the best."
Despite
our best efforts, we ALL stumble and fall, many times. In fact, the Scriptures teach that “ALL have sinned and
fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).
Because of our sins, we “lose”: we are
separated from God (Isaiah 59:1-2)
and destined for destruction (Matthew 7:13-14).
But
because of His great love for us, God gave His
Very Best – His Son, Jesus – to die on the
cross for our sins (John 3:16).
Only the sinless Son of God could pay the price
for our redemption from sin (John 1:29; 1 Peter
1:18-20; Hebrews 2:17-18).
“In Him we have redemption through His blood,
the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of
His grace” (Ephesians 1:7).
In
response to His great love demonstrated on the cross
of Christ, God desires that each of us give of his/her
very best to Him.
He wants each of us to respond to Him in faith
(Acts 16:30-31), turning from our sins in repentance
(Acts 17:30-31), confessing
Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and being baptized
(immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of sins
(Acts 2:38; Galatians 3:26-27).
Then He promises that if we “do our very best” to
continue to walk in the light of His Word that He will
continue to cleanse us from all sin (1 John 1:7).
God
has given His Very Best to us so that we might be
saved.
In
return, won’t YOU give your very best back to Him
through your trusting obedience to His will?
David
A. Sargent, Minister
Church
of Christ at Creekwood
1901
Schillinger Rd. S.
Mobile, Alabama 36695
*
Soundings, Vol. D, #
7, pp. 1-2 as quoted in www.sermonillustrations.com
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