Java with Jesus

January 6th in my devotional, My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers states, "Worship is giving God the best that He has given you."

I sat with this a while as I sipped my steaming cup of coffee sweet with vanilla creamer. Before the warm beverage hit my stomach my mind began a slide show of the "best" God has given me. Sip after sip the technicolor snapshots crossed my mental screen quickly warming my spirit. The Lord is a generous God!

To my son's chagrin "do everything as unto the Lord" is one of my daily prods of encouragement. I believe if it's worth doing, do it well. It took time for me to realize that well is subjective. When I was a new believer perfectionism ruled much of my efforts. I did a lot in my own strength believing I could earn God's favor. My heart meant well but I'm certain I expended a lot of energy God never intended me to.
In my attempts to give God...the best...instead of my best, I depleted my health at times. I suffered and so did my supportive family. Spiritually I survived on bits and pieces of fellowship that I scraped together in the midst of the day's business. Through the years God has taught me to set aside this vanity.

Two valuable gifts I pray for on a regular basis are wisdom and discernment. The fruit from these gems are priorities and balance. Wisdom helps me prioritize and discernment governs the balance in my life. Giving God my best is much easier to accomplish this way. Sitting peacefully in the still of early morn with my Savior is my "best" offering of myself. Like a tithe off the top he gets me first: before the days distractions compete for my focus or cloud my understanding. I sit at his feet and give him my best attention.

The thought occurred to me that God's best includes people. My husband comes second only to Jesus in my life. I so appreciate who he is to me and our children. Still, my selfish nature is inclined to keep him for myself. I don't like sharing my man. Yet, I see more and more the necessity to surrender my desire and give him back to the Lord through a submissive spirit.

Oswald encourages acts of reciprocation with God in regards to giving. "if you hoard it for yourself, it will turn into spiritual dry rot, as the manna did when it was hoarded...it must be given back to Him so that he can make it a blessing to others."

This applies to every part of our relationship with the Lord. Our desires, dreams, loved ones and selves are best in the hands of Jesus. The more I throw myself back in his arms the better I return. Every determined surrender releases more of God's best to which I am compelled again and again to sing his praise. My cup runneth over!