Never Settle For Anything Less Than The Best

Last night I had a full house. The laughter and the conversations were great. I am sitting here this morning thankful for the people in this community, each and every one that makes this place what it is. I wish I could extend myself further, but like every other person, we all have our place and our role and we must be loyal to that; otherwise, we miss out on bestowing and receiving God's best for us in this time.


Never settle for anything less than the best God has for you, right?


As of late, I have been terribly restless, desiring to move, making changes in my home and routine, whining about the weather (mostly the cold, which is dumb because I live in Canada - like I should expect tropical weather?!) I have also been feeling very vulnerable. I want to retreat - now and fast! Yet while I am experiencing this restlessness and vulnerability, I am also having incredible opportunities to share the love of Jesus Christ and encourage others in their walk. Is it a coincidence that I am having a "yin-yang" battle. No, no coincidence whatsoever.


Never settle for anything less than the best God has for you.


What is it that I am looking for? What is it that I am yearning to have? What is it that God wants to reveal to me in this time? Loaded questions, every one of them. And what about this "Never settle for anything less than the best God has for you?" I could be on a never-ending search for the practicalities to that statement...or I could give up all that I have for Him. Oh. Dang. I guess I just answered my own question. "I could give up all that I have for Him." What is the best God has for us? Himself. How bad do I want Him? I mean, really want Him? This is the ultimate question.


This is the question we all must ask of ourselves...And if you dig deep you will hear the answer. The reality is that we want God more than anything else, He made us that way, but we tend to mask this ultimate yearning with idols of significantly lesser value. Money, cars, boats, sex, work, even charity. The truth is we get that easy thrill with these idols which we can so quickly replace when they lose our fancy. Think of how many people this Christmas will open gifts: toys, electronics, more toys...and within a day, a week, a month, these novelties will be replaced with some other novelty, the memory of them lost amongst the photos taken and saved in our hard drive.


How many of us really want to live the Spirit of Christmas day in and day out throughout the entire year? Idealistically, we all do right? Love, peace, generosity, putting disputes aside, giving to the less fortunate, thinking of others, spending time with others that we don't connect with the rest of the year, spending quality time with family...

How bad do you want to carry on the Christmas Spirit throughout the year? How bad do we want the best God has for us? How bad do you want Him? How bad do I want Him? Well, when I think about it, there is nothing else worth pursuing but His best. Now, it is time to refocus. I am recommitting myself to my King, this day, the King of Kings, Lord of Lords, the One who was born long ago in manger as a helpless babe, who lived a sinless life, who was persecuted and died on a cross, conquering sin and death, rising again to New Life, giving hope to all who believe in Him...Jesus Christ - God - His Very Best!