Be the Best! By Pastor Joe

Be the Best! By Pastor Joe

I wrote this article a couple of years ago and was looking at it again and decided this would be a great week to remind ourselves of some of these thoughts. I’ve taken the time to update all the information so that it pertains to 2022. “And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.” Colossians 3:17 NLT “Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ.” Colossians 3:23-24 NLT. These are two great thoughts from the Apostle Paul to the church in Colossae. Also, on a regular basis we hear from many other different voices about how important it is to do our best! Having been a Boy Scout it’s part of the Scout oath. Here it is: “On my honor I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law; to help other people at all times; to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight.” What a great pledge. It is so profound that we should read it over a few more times. Most of us are not within the age prerequisites for being a Boy Scout, but we can still abide by this oath. The order of commitment within the Scout Oath is very important. Duty to God is first and far above our commitment to country. The secret beauty of doing your duty (being your best) to Almighty God first means we will be even better citizens of this nation and our local fellowship. There is nothing within the Word of God, which followers of the Lord Jesus must adhere to, which brings dishonor to our nation or this Assembly of God congregation. God would never instruct us to do something that would bring dishonor to His kingdom. During this time of the year our outdoor activities become more prevalent within this local fellowship: roadside cleanup, Spring Spruce Up, Assembly Park Camp cleanup, and of course the weekly mowing of the grass. The church mower is fantastic. It is a high-quality piece of equipment the congregation purchased and keeps well maintained. The individuals who keep the property looking nice spend 4-5 hours each week caring for the 3+ acres of grass. All of these important fellowship activities will take place. This year some have had to be recently postponed, yet we still do them because we want to “Be the Best.” Hawthorne Assembly needs your help through you being the best member you can be!

The impetus for this week’s thought comes from a young man I met in India on my last trip. We had a few additional Bibles left to distribute and I was able to provide him a copy. In our last conversation he mentioned his vocation was not a position where one experiences levels of success. More specifically, levels of success where we tell others about our great exploits, our great achievements, our great advancements! According to our scripture passage if we are engaged in cleaning bathrooms, scrubbing floors or picking up trash, whatever we do, we do it to honor God. Be the Best at whatever you do. Don’t forget, plant a garden, and plant a garden which brings glory and honor unto the Lord. Part of my garden endeavors will be assembling containers, above ground, to provide the proper soil for our variety of produce. Having a beautiful garden is not about bragging rights, rather it’s about boasting in the Lord. My challenge to you is be the best: be the best spouse, be the best parent, be the best neighbor, be the best employer, be the best employee, be the best worshiper, be the best volunteer, be the best gardener, be the best at whatever you do. And whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God!