Agreement #4 is always do your best.
One of my favorite quotes of all time is from the legendary coach John Wooden. When someone asked Coach Wooden his definition of success, he simply said, “being at peace knowing you’ve done your best.”
Whenever I hear this quote from Coach Wooden my thoughts link to 2 Timothy 2:15 which says, 'Study and do your best to present yourself to God approved, a workman [tested by trial] who has no reason to be ashamed, accurately handling and skillfully teaching the word of truth.”
When was the last time you were consciously aware of your level of effort? As you go to work in the morning, are you doing your best?
When you are with your spouse, are you doing your best? When you are with your children, are you doing your best?
This is when you need to be really open and honest with yourself. This is why I speak so much of the superpower of awareness.
My hand is raised so many times when I have not given my best. In the past, I was making so many agreements with myself and others and did not give my best.
I can remember one time in particular when I was with my kids. I had taken them to the park. One of my children was going down the slide, while the other requested for me to push her on the swing.
I declined to push her on the swing because I was checking Instagram on my phone. I told myself it was for work, which it was. Regardless of work or not, I was not doing my best with my children.
I was not present.
In fact, my actions were saying to my daughter, work is more important than you.
I’ll never forget that moment. I felt as if I was outside my body. I was watching this scenario play out and I was so ashamed. I apologized to my daughter and began to play with both of them.
I made an agreement with myself at that moment to always do my best when I was with them. I’ve made many more agreements like this with my spirit, soul, mind, and body.
What I love about this agreement is how closely tied it is to 2 Timothy 2:15. When I read it, I get excited because I want to be connected to God. I want the spirit to be alive in me producing the best version of what the creator intended for my life.
I love what Romans 5:21 says, “brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.”
That is what I want, to be a living sacrifice, holy to God. Isn’t this what you want too?
Isn’t this the type of agreement you want to make with your life? Isn’t this what is calling you to a higher level spiritually which maximizes growth in all areas of your life?
What does doing your best look like for you spiritually?
What does doing your best look like for you relationally (in your soul)?
What does doing your best look like for you mentally?
What does doing your best look like for you physically?
What if you began to make these new agreements with yourself and others?
What would your life look like?
If I could leave you with one last thing to consider it would be from Mark 12:30-31 which says, “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
Are you giving the Lord your best?
If you were to audit your time, talent, and treasure, would you find the Lord in the first place?
If these four agreements have resonated with you and you want to dig deeper, I've written a BONUS #5 titled, Destroying Old Agreements.
Feel free to email me: anthony@thompson.is or message me on Instagram: Instagram.com/anthonythomps0n.
If this devotional has been helpful, please consider giving it a 5-star rating and sharing it with your friends and family.
You have the power to transform other people’s lives simply by rating and sharing it. When you rate and share, it helps other people just like you find it.
Rooting for you. Praying with you.
Coach Anthony Thompson