Lately the last scripture in the Sermon on the Mount has been going through my mind, roughly paraphrased is this: Be ye therefore perfect, even as my Father in Heaven is perfect.
I am NOT perfect. I make mistakes all the time. I offend people, I misunderstand. I make bad choices. it is not for lack of trying, it isn't even due just to my imperfect nature. Life is hard and at times, we are often deceived into making the wrong choices. The hardest thing to overcome for me is apathy. Apathy is a killer, both physically and spiritually. I have heard it said by many people in my life that the shortest road to hell is for good men to do nothing. Doing nothing is exactly what Satan would have us do to seal us his. There are other contexts for this phrase but it can also stand alone and be applicable for my purposes here.
God is constantly in motion, doing, and blessing as He sees fit but also as we ask Him. His actions are active and well planned to bring us closer to Him. it is one of the greatest ironies that to fail due to apathy takes effort. Effort to avoid doing good things. Effort to avoid those who would bless our lives. However, it is His spirit that seeks us out as a shepherd after his lost sheep beckoning us to return to Him.
I have been one of those lost sheep many times. Nothing serious mind you but there are times where I have drifted a little ways away and he tries to pull me back. With great effort and fortitude I have returned often. I try to do well and serve others in my life and am moreso focused on it now than I have ever been. Time is a limiting factor as is my physical capacity so I have to often make hard decisions. Elder Dallin Oaks talk on "Good, Better, Best" applies here. My life is always swamped in good things I could choose to do, well more than I could accomplish in my typical day. Better things are a step up but often many of those are impractical. The best things are the realm of the gods and prophets. I know there are many great things I can do but I don't know if I can ever make it to the best things.
The Lord's commandment still applies here, "Be ye therefore perfect..."So I have coined a new word to describe the harmony in both of these. Betterest. To do ones betterest means to do the best we can even if it was not perfect and not give in to the easier ways that are merely good. It does also acknowledge that we could rarely if ever "be perfect" at this stage. It means do all you can and if we fall a little short, it does not mean we failed. It just means we still have room to grow. Betterest blends the ideas of doing ones best job and being content with what was achieved. It is balanced by a healthy appreciation for failure and how to try again. it is a better task waiting to bloom forward as a perfect job. So to each of you I commend you to do the betterest job you can.
I am NOT perfect. I make mistakes all the time. I offend people, I misunderstand. I make bad choices. it is not for lack of trying, it isn't even due just to my imperfect nature. Life is hard and at times, we are often deceived into making the wrong choices. The hardest thing to overcome for me is apathy. Apathy is a killer, both physically and spiritually. I have heard it said by many people in my life that the shortest road to hell is for good men to do nothing. Doing nothing is exactly what Satan would have us do to seal us his. There are other contexts for this phrase but it can also stand alone and be applicable for my purposes here.
God is constantly in motion, doing, and blessing as He sees fit but also as we ask Him. His actions are active and well planned to bring us closer to Him. it is one of the greatest ironies that to fail due to apathy takes effort. Effort to avoid doing good things. Effort to avoid those who would bless our lives. However, it is His spirit that seeks us out as a shepherd after his lost sheep beckoning us to return to Him.
I have been one of those lost sheep many times. Nothing serious mind you but there are times where I have drifted a little ways away and he tries to pull me back. With great effort and fortitude I have returned often. I try to do well and serve others in my life and am moreso focused on it now than I have ever been. Time is a limiting factor as is my physical capacity so I have to often make hard decisions. Elder Dallin Oaks talk on "Good, Better, Best" applies here. My life is always swamped in good things I could choose to do, well more than I could accomplish in my typical day. Better things are a step up but often many of those are impractical. The best things are the realm of the gods and prophets. I know there are many great things I can do but I don't know if I can ever make it to the best things.
The Lord's commandment still applies here, "Be ye therefore perfect..."So I have coined a new word to describe the harmony in both of these. Betterest. To do ones betterest means to do the best we can even if it was not perfect and not give in to the easier ways that are merely good. It does also acknowledge that we could rarely if ever "be perfect" at this stage. It means do all you can and if we fall a little short, it does not mean we failed. It just means we still have room to grow. Betterest blends the ideas of doing ones best job and being content with what was achieved. It is balanced by a healthy appreciation for failure and how to try again. it is a better task waiting to bloom forward as a perfect job. So to each of you I commend you to do the betterest job you can.
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