The Admiral asked the young officer if he had given his best effort in his studies at the Naval Academy. Though he graduated fifty-ninth in a class of eight hundred and twenty, he instinctively knew he could have done better. “No, sir, I didn’t always do my best.”
The Admiral followed up with this question: “Why not?” Silence, conversation over. Those two words became a game changer in the young man’s life. The young naval officer? Our thirty-ninth president, Jimmy Carter.
Do you always give your best effort? Even when you face frustration? Even when your patience becomes pushed to the limit?
Perhaps when you feel your talents and abilities are underutilized in your workplace?
Be encouraged. In those moments, you are called to focus and give your best. Be strengthened by your uniqueness. (After all, there is only one you.) Stay pure in your heart. Resist distractions.
One of the ways we are most diligent in our walk with God is when we thoughtfully and intentionally have our best efforts on display for people to see.
Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.” – Matthew 5:16
Allow me to encourage you to stay faithful to God’s call on your life. I know the reality is the pressures of life are real. But stay consistent.
Don’t allow circumstances nor anyone else to sidetrack you. Be determined and diligent to stay focused on God’s call. Don’t enable critics to define who you are. Adjust your sails to navigate the waves. Above all, be filled with integrity. Be strengthened through the connection of prayer and study to map your direction. And focus on what motivates you to do better.
Focus on those things which will eventually define who you are.
Spiritual and physical energy becomes diminished when our attention is on those things that keep us parked in neutral. In those moments, turn your thoughts upward and say, “God, will you show me how I can do what is best at this point? Lord, help me to see what I must focus on.”
The Bible shows us that God has this incredible way of placing people and situations in our lives as an opportunity to grow. And when things don’t go according to plan, even while giving your best effort, use those moments as a learning experience. Instead of giving up, persevere by relying on God to replenish your strength and soul. The very essence of giving your best is to be willing to learn those lessons from the past and always move forward.
For Jimmy Carter, it took two words to refocus his priorities. “Why not?”
So, let me ask you … to give your best effort, what do you need to focus on?