Craig Clouston

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.

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.”