DO YOUR BEST

Bruce Hills tells the story in his book, Inside Out – A Biblical and Practical Guide To Self-Leadership, of a story he read in Gordon MacDonald’s book, Ordering Your Private World (1993, 103), who had borrowed it from a book he read by Polmar and Allen’s in their biography of Admiral Hyman Rickover, “the head of the United States Nuclear Navy from 1949-1982” (2017, 13). He writes, “By all accounts, Admiral Rickover (1900-1986) was a controversial man. He personally interviewed and selected every prospective officer to serve on a US nuclear vessel. Interviewees would often leave the Admiral’s office ‘shaking in fear, anger, or total intimidation.'” Bruce goes on to describe the time that a future US President was interviewed by Rickover after applying for an officer’s position on a nuclear submarine.

To do so, he too had to be interviewed by Rickover, whom he’d never met before. Carter wrote:

…we sat in a large room by ourselves for more than two hours, and he let me choose any subjects I wished to discuss. Very carefully, I chose those about which I knew most at the time – current events, seamanship, music, literature, naval tactics, electronics, gunnery – and he began to ask me a series of questions of increasing difficulty. In each instance, he soon proved that I knew relatively little about the subject I had chosen.

 He always looked right into my eyes, and he never smiled. I was saturated with cold sweat.

 Finally, he asked a question and I thought I could redeem myself. He asked, “How did you stand in your class at the naval Academy?” Since I had completed my sophomore year at Georgia Tech before entering Annapolis as a plebe, I had done very well, and I swelled my chest with pride and answered, “Sir, I stood fifty-ninth in a class of 820!” I sat back to await the congratulations – which never came. Instead, the question: “Did you do your best?” I started to say, “Yes, sir,” but I remembered who this was and recalled several of the many times at the Academy when I could have learned more about our allies, our enemies, weapons, strategy, and so forth. I was just human. I finally gulped and said, “No, sir,  I didn’t always do my best.”

 He looked at me for a long time, and then turned his chair around to end the interview. He asked one final question, which I have never been able to forget – or to answer. He said, “Why not?” I sat there for a while, shaken, and then slowly left the room.

President Jimmy Carter in the background with his former Naval Commanding Officer, Admiral Hyman Rickover

DID YOU DO YOUR BEST?

Bruce Hills, having retold this story of Jimmy Carter being interviewed by Admiral Rickover, writes, “That same question, ‘Why not’, shook me to the core.” But as Jimmy Carter discovered, when we look back, we can then see how we might have done better. But that’s the key to it: looking back. But life doesn’t afford us the luxury of hindsight in advance! 

Last month, I was privileged to be the guest speaker at Catalyst in Ipswich, Queensland. One of the things I really enjoyed about being at this wonderful church was their multiple services. I have rarely ever preached any message twice. Whenever I am invited to a church, even if I am asked to speak on a particular topic, I always prayerfully consider what should be said and how it should be presented for that church. With this in mind, it has been said that every preacher always has three sermons: the one they prepare; the one they preach; and, the one they wish they’d preached! This brings me back to my time at Catalyst, a 900 member church, which has two multiple services on a Sunday morning. I preached my heart out in their 8:30AM service. I then had 30 minutes before the next service started at 10:30AM. In the break in between the services I had time to self-evaluate the message I’d just given. I saw several ways I could have done better and made some of the points clearer. At the 10:30AM service I preached my heart out again – but this time had the advantage of learning from my inadequacies in the first service. (I wish life was more like this!) I later overheard the pastor of Catalyst, Pastor Carl, tell someone, “Andrew did well in the first service, but he did better in the second service!” 

But if Admiral Rickover had looked me in eye and asked, “Did you do your best?” I would honestly say, “Yes sir!” This is despite my confession that I knew I could do better if I had another go, because even in evaluating my efforts in delivering the message the first time, I really did do my best. I think this principle applies to life generally. Most of us do do our best most of the time – especially when it comes to the important things in life like being a friend, an employee, a team-mate, a wife, a husband, a politician, a sales executive, a medical doctor, or a parent. But life’s episodes don’t come with multiple services where we get to have another go. 

Life is a sequence of unchangeable events in which we are usually doing our best with what we have and what we know.   

DOING YOUR BEST IS NOT A COMPETITION

For some people the word “best” implies being better than anyone else. But the only best we can be expected to do, is the best that we can do! This kind of best is our best effort, our best attitude, and our best focus. The apostle Paul warns against thinking in terms of a competitive best being equated to our best. 

Not that we dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who are commending themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding.
Second Corinthians 10:12

Of course, there are times when a challenge from someone we respect is able to bring out our best. I remember being in a church planting directors meeting with David Cartledge who asked about our church in Legana. I shared with him what we had done, and what we still hoped to achieve for the Lord. His parting words to me were, “Andrew, if anyone can do it, you can!” I don’t know if he said that to every young pastor, but his words to me that day filled my motivation tank for at least the next year. I tried harder. I wasn’t trying to compete with anyone else, I was simply trying harder to give my best to the Lord and His church.

WHAT DO YOU DO IF YOU HAVEN’T DONE YOUR BEST?

  In André Agassi’s book, Open, he describes his demise from world number 4 to world number 140. He has put on weight. He didn’t train much. And his recent marriage to Brooke Shields was on the rocks. His brother suggested that he get a coach to help him turn things around. He took the advice and engaged Brad Gilbert (1994-2002) who began to help him rebuild his game. He also went back to Gil Reyes, his fitness trainer who helped him to rebuild his body. Gilbert told Agassi that he wasn’t worthy to continue playing the pro-tour; instead, Gilbert told him, he had to go back to basics and begin playing club tournaments. Agassi had the humility to accept Gilbert’s humiliating rebuke and did indeed go back to play club tournaments. To his shock, the first club tournament he played saw him losing in the first round! It was then that he realised just how much trouble he was in. He continued to work hard and entered in more tournaments. After he eventually won one of these club tournaments, his brother was driving him back to the motel in the heat of a Californian summer’s day when André told him, “Pull the car over!” His brother asked why. “Because I didn’t give my best!” André told him. “But you won! And we’re still miles away from our motel – and besides, it’s blistering hot out there!” his brother replied. “I did win, but I only did the minimum I needed to do – and from now on, I’m only going to give my best! I’m running the rest of the way back to our motel.” Indeed he did. After the age of 29, when it was usual for most professional tennis players to have retired, André Agassi went on to win another 4 Grand Slam titles (largely due to his next coach, Darren Cahill). 

What do you do when you haven’t given your best?

1. Acknowledge it. 
2. Recognise how you could have done better. 
3. Do better next time.

In life there are times when we know we have not only not done our best, but we have, in fact, done our worst. When this involves hurting or harming others – especially God – we have a serious problem. I think of the young girl who rebels against her Christian upbringing and gets involved with the wrong crowd. In time she learns to drown her guilt with alcohol, pills and needles. But despite her numbness there is still that feint divine beckoning to come home that she feels is the right thing to do. The good news is, for anyone who has wandered, that God’s Word gives the hope that if we: 1) acknowledge what we have done has been wrong; 2) recognise that actions have hurt those we love, or at least the One who loves us more – God; and, 3) ask for forgiveness, then God promises to forgive us and wipe our slates clean. 

If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
First John 1:8-9

There is tremendous power in an authentic apology. It can begin to heal a fractured friendship, a strained marriage, an injured daughter, or an offended father.

GOD’S HELP TO DO OUR BEST

Paul charges his protégés, Titus and Timothy, several times to do their best. His words to Timothy resound in my heart two thousand years or so later and I would covet your prayers to help me to do my best to be your pastor.

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.
Second Timothy 2:15

The future will reveal that we could have done better – but none of us live in the future; we live in the now, and we do the best we can with what we have and what we know. For me, as a friend, husband, parent, pastor, the good news is that as I strive to do my best, I am not yet who I will one day be, and God’s Word tells me that it is God who works in the heart and life of those who strive to do their best for Him.

for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.
Philippians 2:13

Pastor Andrew 

ALL I CAN DO

Have you ever beaten yourself up? You know, scolded yourself for being so far less than perfect? As a recovering auto-beater, I have a few tips for those who still practice self-beating. All of these tips are based on the words: do your best. The problem with this expression is that the perfectionist actually hears something unattainable which means they haven't heard it all!

Have you ever been afraid to start something or even trysomething because you thought you wouldn't be good enough? Chances are you a closet-perfectionist. Perfectionists need to understand: There is a world of difference between being the best and doing your best. We can't all be "the best". But we can do our best. And sure, we could always do better than what we've just done, but doing your best involves elements such as- at this time, with what you have, and according to what you know at the time. At a different time, you might do the same thing differently and perhaps better. But when you did it, you didn't have a different time at your disposal (those who sit exams know what I'm talking about). Similarly, when you did what you did, you did it with what you had at your disposal (remember your first car?). And, perhaps you know more now than you did at the time you did what you did. But most of life's actions were done by people who were exercising what they knew at the time rather than what they were going to know! (You might have to talk with a seasoned parent to understand what I'm talking about here.)

Doing your best doesn't necessarily mean that you're doing the very best you possibly could, because: you have to do your best with the time you have, the resources presently at your disposal, and using the knowledge you currently have. Sure, given more time, better equipment and greater training, you could undoubtedly do better. But doing yourbest means you do the best you can using your available time, energy, resources and know-how at your disposal.

The Bible uses the expression, do your best, in this light.

making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.
Ephesians 5:16

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.
Second Timothy 2:15

Paul asked Timothy to do his best to come to him (2Tim. 4:9, 21) and asked Titus to do the same (Titus 3:12).

Do your best to speed Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their way; see that they lack nothing.
Titus 3:13

I have to constantly remind myself that even the Bible doesn't make unreasonable perfectionist demands of me. It asks me to give my best. I am asked to make the best of my time (Col. 4:5). I am asked to do my best in the service of preaching and teaching God's Word (2Tim. 2:15). I am to do my best in showing hospitality to others (Titus 3:13). And I am to do my best as a parent. I now get to the end of my days with To-Do lists unfinished, phone-calls not returned, emails unanswered, ocassions not appreciated as they deserve to be, projects half-done, and think: well, that's the best I could do today.

"He came to my desk with a quivering lip,
The lesson was done.
'Have you a new sheet for me, dear teacher?
I've spoiled this one.'
I took his sheet, all soiled and blotted,
And gave him a new one all unspotted,
And to his tired heart I cried.
'Do better now, my child.' 

I went to the throne with a troubled heart,
The day was done.
'Have a new day for me, dear Master?
I've spoiled this one.'
He took my day, all soiled and blotted,
And gave a new one all unspotted.
And to my tired heart He cried,
'Do better now, my child.'" 

Anon., "Do Better Now My Child"

Changing the way we think of "doing our best" should literally take the pressure off. We are no longer burdened by the expectations of others. We do what we do because we do it as unto the Lord. We then get to the end of our day with the knowledge that we practically could not have done any better, and we can sleep knowing, "That's all I can do."

Ps. Andrew

Remembering WHY Eden - Created To Add Value

He turns a desert into pools of water,
a parched land into springs of water.
Psalm 107:35

The opening verses of the Bible introduce us to the God who always improves. From void to vegetated, the Invaluable One took an interest in an obscure spiral galaxy where a small solar system had just emerged. Three planets away from this unusually sized star was a recently cooled planet covered mostly by water. He then began to improve - added value to - and these improvements culminated in the divinely gardened area He named Eden. But Eden was supposed to be the place from which man was to leave. Instead, rather than leaving it, man was removed from it. And even though hundreds of thousands of generations have since been, the memory of Eden, though feint, is etched intuitively into each of our memories. The lessons from Eden had not been fully drawn down by our First Parents, yet the elementary principles they gained about what improving looks like - and have been genetically passed down to us. As feint as this memory of Eden is in each of us, it has still been sufficient for us, the descendents of Adam, to literally change the world...

FROM NOTHING TO SOMETHING

Land emerged. Seas formed. Oceans originated. The process of building the right conditions for life on this earth, due to its vast and necessarily varied deposits of water, enabled the creation of the smallest microbial life forms. These tiniest creatures would make possible the vast nutrient reserves in earth's soil and sea - so that vegetation could begin to flourish. Herbivores, carnivores, then mankind. An improving and necessary order. All created at the appropriate time. Each dependent upon each. A progression from inhospitable to inhabited.

¶ You visit the earth and water it;
you greatly enrich it;
the river of God is full of water;
you provide their grain,
for so you have prepared it.
Psalm 65:9

I said earlier that God 'began to improve', but more accurately it should be said that 'it appeared that God began to improve'- for even in the first creation event from which our planet eventually coalesced, He was improving. But we are forgiven for thinking that it was at this time that He began to improve, because the greatest addition of value took place after everything was created. God didn't create new atoms to form man. He took pre-existing material and formed it, shaped it, fashioned it, and breathed into it. He added nothing to the universe in order to create man - except value.

He then took an interest in an undeveloped patch of ground a few dozen square miles in size and formed a well planned, magnificently beautiful garden called Eden. Even before an animal had been permitted to enter this sanctuary, God took Adam and led him into this garden. The Great Gardener then charged His representative with care for this great Garden. "Dress, till, and keep it." Improve it! Maintain it! And by maintaining it, you will be adding value to it. Everything you do to earh should be inspired by what I have modelled for you in Eden. Now, go, subdue the earth! There is a faint memory of Eden etched into the soul of every person. Many don't know it's there. But their propensity to Edenise everything they possess is instincive. Some supress this divinely implanted instinct. A rare few seem to let it flow freely, graciously, and gracefully.These are His people who add value to not only what they posses, but to their world- whether it be things, people, organisations, their field of interest or profession, and systems they use. They are value-adders. They leave a place better than they found it. They make a business more profitable. They train those who benefit from it. They leave a motel room tidy. They walk down the road and pick up rubbish. They leave the store having smiled at and thanked the sales assistants and cashier. These value-adding people are therefore valuable people.

What do you see in your world? Barreness, void, waste, distraction? In one of the greatest movies of all time, The Shawshank Redemption, Andy Dufresne, the wrongly convicted prisoner, doesn't see what everyone sees. Instead, because of what he can see, he helps establish a library, acquire new recreational equipment, gain special privileges for his fellow inmates, and eventually true justice and the opportunity to redeem himself.

God has embedded onto our world almost invaluable potential. When the right value-adder realises and aspect of this potential-

# The Sahara Desert (currently growing a few kilometers a year), could be turned into lush forest. 

# Famine (one of the defining features of a 'Third World' country) could be permanently eradicated. 

# Cities beset with crime, violence, graffiti, and vandalism could become centres of innovation, creative arts, higher learning, and exquisite gardens. 

# The mega-cities of the world nearly all have rampant air, water and soil pollution, could enjoy: clean-air, fresh-water, lush and fertile garden cities, minimal crime, thriving economies, and social cohesion. 

# Schools that are trahed and truant, with the poorest educational outcomes, the least qualified teachers and the most disinterested students and parents could become hubs for their commnties, where the peer pressure from students would prevent graffiti, vandalism or littering; where parents enjoy volunteering, only the best teachers can work there, and educational outcomes are second to none.

People who reflect Eden are not always grand visionaries. They don't always change the world, or even history. But they make the world a better place- and leave it all the better for having been in it.Yet I fear I may have just undersold the value of even the least value-adder. The mother who teaches her children to be polite and courteous, the sister who plays with her younger sibling and helps her to comprehend some of the enormous dangers of the vast world - such as the impact of asphalt on knees or how a second wipe can stop embarrassing itches - may well be (and indeed probably are) changing the world and making history!

Adam was created to leave Eden and subdue (add value) to the entire world. Instead, rather than leave Eden, he was removed from Eden. Rather than subdue the earth, the today's sons of Adam have largely been hoodwinked into not subduing because somehow 'Mother Nature' knows best. But the earth is not our 'Mother' and it has been designed to bring forth immearsurable value which can only happen if it is apprpriately subdued.

Adam's time in Eden was meant to be a launching place where he imbibed the heart of his Improving Creator. God has an unstoppable passion to improve! Surely you've noticed that when you spend time in prayer, Bible study, or Theological contemplation, that it is not too long afterwards that you get your best ideas and highest levels of motivation to improve yourself and your world.

¶ But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of Him everywhere.
Second Corinthians 2:14

It was said of the squire that you could always tell when he had spent a deal of time in his rose garden. When he walked into a room, the fragrance of his roses filled the room and lingereg long after he left. The New Testament describes believers who have soaked themselves in Christ as bearing His fragrance wherever they go.

Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
John 12:3

I wonder if our church can be a source for adding value to our world? Can we make our world richer - because we recall Eden and it's original purpose. It's one of the reasons why I would love to see our grounds (and yet-to-be created gardens) become a cause of wonder and enjoyment for many. Because how we present our communal space is a sacramental display of how we respond to the God of Improvement to a world that desperately needs the right kind of improving.

He turns a desert into pools of water,
a parched land into springs of water.
Psalm 107:35

Yet more importantly, I wonder if we can each pool our value-adding abilities and enrich the lives of one aother so significantly that quite literally we change the world and the course of human historyand become a cause for many to realise how magnificent, how glorious, how wonderful and how beautiful our Jesus is? Consider how you can add value to your world - those you interact with, the space you utilise (even if you don't own it). Together we can remember Eden's message. And won't that be a gift of improvement to our Lord!

¶ Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
Revelation 22:1-2

Ps. Andrew