Awhile back, my youngest son went through a phase of only eating red things. So when he would get a few jellybeans as a treat, he would only eat the red ones and leave the rest on the table. When he was asked if he wanted the rest of the jelly beans, he would say “no, I only eat red ones.”
Fifty amazing flavors and he will only eat the red ones! I couldn’t believe that a child would leave behind candy freely given to him. But I have come to realize that I have a few things to learn…
…even from my child.
I realized, albeit much later, that just because I am given a handful of good things, it doesn’t mean I should consume them all. I am not just talking of food here; however, if you give me a handful of jellybeans, I probably will eat them all.
I have recently had to take a long hard look at my schedule and my commitments. You see, I have all kinds of options and things that I can add into my daily or weekly routine, they are all good options, but choosing all of them is not good for me. This is where I have to follow the example of my son and be willing to leave some things behind…
…choosing only the best.
In the Bible, the writer of Hebrews speaks of running a race and encourages us to get rid of excess:
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.” Hebrews 12:1-2
I am striving daily to choose what is best, knowing that at times that involves leaving behind some good things. Let me give you another example.
Last spring, a friend of mine was very excited about an opportunity for third graders in our city. She really wanted me to participate and had already figured out carpooling. Just weeks before she called, I had sat down and clarified for myself our purpose as a family in homeschooling.
The purpose and mission of this opportunity was clearly incongruent to our personal family mission so I had to say no to the opportunity, even though the event itself was not bad. It was one of our first opportunities to “choose the best and leave behind the rest.”
It is not always an easy task to discover and be committed to the best. That handful of jellybeans looks appetizing. You feel like you are missing out on some amazing flavors, but even so, sometimes it is best to just eat the red ones.
May you have the strength to choose what is best!
Question: What is your biggest stumbling block when facing the decision to choose the best? Are there good things in your life that might need to be eliminated because they are not the best? Share your comment by clicking here.
