God's Best

In his letter, James discusses the goodness of God and how “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” (James 1:17, ESV). What’s interesting is his warning before this statement “Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers” (James 1:16, ESV). By what, you ask? By settling for anything less than God’s best. He warns about the temptation of sin, the lure of pursuing our perception of what is good – rather than believing that only God is good. His way is always the best, although we may not understand His methods. James argues, “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him” (v.12). But, of course, there will always be the temptation to do what is right in our own eyes, it is selfishness, nothing less.

Lately, our eight-year-old son Aaron has been giving this excuse when he does something wrong “we all make mistakes, and we are all sinners.” Yes, son, you are correct that no one is perfect, only God (Romans 3:23). What the lad fails to remember is that he is now an adopted child of God (Ephesians 1:3-10), redeemed, forgiven, and is a new creation in Christ (2Corinthians 5:17). Therefore, as children of God, don’t settle for anything less than His best.