Give your best. Always. Yeah, we get tired. Yeah, sometimes it’s difficult. But it’s what’s right. Guys, honestly, it’s really easy to shluff off and ignore the world around us. Shoot, it’s really easy to just do the bare minimum. But we were created to thrive! To soar! To do our best.
I don’t believe we were created to live mediocre lives. When you die, what will you have to show for it? What will people say about you? Will the relationships in your life have mattered? Will the work you did have mattered? Will people say you gave your all?
Are you satisfied with “just okay”? I’m not. We only get one shot at this life! What we do here determines who we become for all of eternity!! I want to be the kind of person who works wholeheartedly. I want to be someone who is passionate about what I do. If you don’t care about the work you’re doing, go do something else! There are a billion different ways to live your life in this world, in this age. You aren’t confined to a life that only sort of makes you happy, or doesn’t at all. Do everything as unto the Lord. Every time.
We’re human. We have limits. It’s not always wise to be at 100% all day every day. I’m not saying wear yourself out. There is a time for rest and a time for play. There is a time for recharging and a time for isolation. There’s a time to recoup and a time to plan. But what I am saying is that when you’re out in the world doing whatever it is you do, do it wholeheartedly.
What would happen if you only baked a pie at half the temperature you’re supposed to? It wouldn’t turn out so well, would it? What if you drove at half the speed you’re supposed to? It would take you twice as long to get there, wouldn’t it? What do you think happens if you live your life–the life you’ve been gifted–the same way?
Life isn’t easy. It isn’t meant to be easy. Remember what we said about the refining fire and the silversmith? Life gives us challenges to make us grow. We become stronger when we live through storms. We’re put into the fire to burn away all of the unnecessary and poisonous parts of ourselves. You’re going to have obstacles one way or another. There’s no way around it. How will you handle those obstacles?
When you choose to take the high road and turn those obstacles into opportunities, you develop something inside of you that you would otherwise have lost. It’s just like when you exercise or train your muscles to follow a certain pattern. The more you use the “yes” muscles, the stronger they become. The more you choose to do what is right, to give your best effort, and to live life with purpose and direction, the stronger you become.
What is your goal in life? What do you dream of? Time flies, guys, and it doesn’t stop for high school seniors. Will you spend the rest of your life bemoaning the loss of your “glory days”? Do something more meaningful with your life than be the next high school Spanish club Homecoming representative! The world won’t stop on Friday. You have to learn to see past the immediate future and think long-term.
Who are you? What do you want to do for the next 80 years? What kind of fruits do you want to reap in eternity? What strengths do you want to have in your soul? If you expect to have a strong character, to have integrity and grace and wisdom; if you expect to be kind and forgiving, patient, and humble; if you expect to be “good,” you must start now. Every little white lie desensitizes your internal compass and makes your brain and your spirit slowly but surely okay with lying. Soon, larger lies won’t even phase you. You’ll be okay with deception and that will spiral into even darker deeds. When you don’t stick to that moral compass, something inside you breaks. “If you don’t use it…you lose it.” You’ve got to practice doing your best. You’ve got to rehearse living life on purpose.
Did you realize that you were equipped with every tool you’d ever need the day you were born? In your mother’s womb, God molded you to be the uniquely individual person that you are. He crafted you with talents and preferences in mind. He knew what your heart would desire, what would give you joy, and what would make your heart sing! He’s the one who put those desires and joys there! And He wouldn’t create you with such precision, with such passion, and then neglect to prepare you for the life He chose to gift to you.
You are capable. Don’t ever feel like taking the easy way out is mandatory because you aren’t good enough or you aren’t worth it. Never forget that “you matter and you’ve got what it takes.” ~Ken Coleman. You have been equipped to live an outstanding life. The only thing stopping you…is you.
Make that decision. Chose to live life with a plan, for a purpose, intentionally. Give your best effort, even when it gets hard. Especially when it gets hard! Those are the moments that build the muscles that define who you are.
Love always,
Coralie
P.S. Here’s an article my friend found that challenges the reader to develop “a determination to live proper standards, to be true to one’s best self, and to act always in accordance with a high sense of true values, [which will lead to]… incomparable joy and lasting peace.”
And here’s Thrive by Casting Crowns!