Giving
Our All
Whatever you do, work at it with all
your heart.
Colossians 3:23
Billy had been blessed with the skills
of a natural athlete. He’d carried a .360 batting avg. throughout
his college career and was an all-star shortstop. Today Billy was
attending winter tryouts with the Cleveland Indians organization.
“Okay, Mitchell, let’s see you take a few!” the infield coach hollered, and hit a screaming grounder in Billy’s direction. Billy fielded the ball with little effort and threw a line-drive to the first baseman. After several similar plays the coach hit him some fly balls. With deceptive ease, Billy positioned himself under each pop fly, caught the ball, and sent it on a string to home plate. Coach told Billy to come by his office following tryouts.
“Okay, Mitchell, let’s see you take a few!” the infield coach hollered, and hit a screaming grounder in Billy’s direction. Billy fielded the ball with little effort and threw a line-drive to the first baseman. After several similar plays the coach hit him some fly balls. With deceptive ease, Billy positioned himself under each pop fly, caught the ball, and sent it on a string to home plate. Coach told Billy to come by his office following tryouts.
When Billy knocked on the door the
coach asked him to take a seat, “You know, Billy, you’re a rare
one…a natural. They’re considering signing you. But I need to
know something.” The coach continued, “You've got talent, Son,
there’s no denying it. It comes easy to you…maybe too easy.
Everyone else out there today had to give their all to make an
impression. You on the other hand coasted right on through.”
Billy’s response was expected, “I
gave you 110 percent today. What more do you want?”
“I want more than just enough to get
by. And by the way, you can’t give more than 100 percent. And if
you think you gave your best today you’ll never reach your
potential. Quite frankly, that’s what I’m afraid of.”
†
God wants our all, not just enough to
get by. When we hold out, our relationships suffer; with God and
everyone we encounter.
The widely-used oxymoron, “I gave 110
percent!” is, at best, a misnomer that we have the ability to give
better than our best efforts at any given time. And sadly, society
has adopted the mindset that when we find something worthy of our
better-than-best effort, we give it!
You are 100 percent God’s creation.
It’s impossible to give more than you are. But what you are is
exactly what He wants; your best, no more, and no less. Do the math.
Prayer
“May You find in me the
willingness to give You all that I am, Lord, at all times, in all
things. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”
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