God Knows the Difference

I recently heard Hank Smith share some inspiring words about the phrase “do your best” that made me want to shout, YES! He suggested that instead of always telling ourselves to “do your best,” perhaps we should think in terms of “do what you can.”

I understood exactly what he meant. We can put so much pressure on ourselves with the idea that our “best” has to be our highest possible performance every moment of every day. That simply isn't realistic. Hank also taught that If we were operating at our absolute best every moment, eventually that wouldn't be our best anymore. It would just be our average.

But the more I thought about his message, the more I realized that, for me, “do your best” and “do what you can” really mean the same thing. Maybe the problem isn't the phrase “do your best.” Maybe it is what we sometimes think “your best” is supposed to mean.

To me, doing my best doesn't mean being perfect. It doesn't mean performing at my highest level every day. It means doing what I am capable of doing at this time, on this day, with what I have.

Some days I can do more than others. Some days I have more energy, more strength, more focus, and more to give. Other days, getting through the things that need to be done takes everything I have. My best on those days may look very different from my best on another day. But if I honestly give what I have, then that is my best.

Hank shared an example of this as found in Mark 14. A woman anointed Jesus with very expensive ointment, and some people criticized her for what they saw as a waste. But Jesus defended her. He told them to leave her alone because she had done what she could. I love that. She didn't do everything. She didn't satisfy everyone watching her. She simply did what she could.

And when the voices, whether from others or from within, criticize our mistakes, our weaknesses, or our shortcomings, maybe we can remember the Savior's response: “Leave her alone. She is doing what she can.”

That doesn't mean “do whatever you feel like doing.” There is a difference between recognizing our limitations and making excuses. Sometimes I really can't do more. Other times I don't want to do more. Those are not the same thing.

Doing our best still requires honesty and diligence. Sometimes doing what we can means pushing ourselves, stretching ourselves, and doing something difficult even when we don't feel like it. Other times, doing what we can means recognizing that we have reached our limit.

And I KNOW God knows the difference.

Almost every day is hard for me right now. I have to push, stretch, and reach just to take care of the things that need to be done. Sometimes even ordinary things take more effort than I wish they did. I don't want it to be that way, but right now, that is how it is. I am learning to give myself grace, not excuses.

Grace doesn't mean I stop trying. It means I recognize that there are moments, and sometimes whole days, when getting through the day takes a lot out of me. I can still move forward without expecting myself to function as though nothing is hard.

I think there is an important question to ask ourselves: Am I honestly doing what I can, or am I using “I did what I could” as an excuse for not doing what I am capable of doing?

I may not always know the answer myself. But God does. He knows when I am making excuses, and He also knows when I am giving everything I have, even when what I have to give looks very small compared to what I might be able to give on a different day.

And He knows that about every one of us. We cannot always know what someone else is capable of giving because we don't know their circumstances, their struggles, their capacity, or what it took for them to simply show up that day.

The Savior's response to the woman in Mark 14 is so meaningful. He knew exactly what she could give, and He accepted what she gave.

So I don't think Hank Smith is saying that we should lower the bar. I think he is reminding us to be realistic about what our “best” actually is.

Your best today may not be your best tomorrow.  Maybe “do your best” really does mean do what you can. Some days that will be a lot. Some days it will be very little. But if I honestly give what I have, keep moving forward, and don't use my limitations as an excuse to quit, then perhaps that really is doing my best.

And God knows the difference.