Page 8 - The Standard Volume 2

GIVING YOUR Best
Elect Lady Deondra Felton
How would you define “Giving your best?” According to Romans 12:1 it says,
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service” (KJV).
Wouldn’t you agree that God is the best at everything He does? There is absolutely nothing that anyone else can do for you that is higher than God’s best!
This Scripture says we are to give ourselves to God because of what He has done for us. When you think about that, you cannot afford to fall short of your best. Each of us are responsible to sacrifice ourselves by giving all of us and not just the parts we choose. God knew we would need His shed blood so that we could walk in His ways and have the power we need to live Holy so He gave His only Son, Jesus Christ who sacrificed Himself for us. In return, He asks us to give ourselves to Him.
NO EXCUSES
It’s amazing how many excuses people will give as to why they don’t give their best. Excuses are nothing but hindrances, roadblocks, and if you will, sinkholes. You can fall into an excuse and get stuck there because it shows your inability to sacrifice all.
“First Lady, you have to be patient with me because I’m just not there yet. God’s still working on me.” No beloved, it is your responsibility to come up to the fulness of who you need to be in Christ because you’re giving yourself—your very best—to God. This is all about you and God. “I beseech you, I beg you to give yourself to God.” Holy and acceptable—this is the Lord’s measuring rod. When you hear the Word of God being given and you are convicted that you are not living up to par, you have the responsibility to line up with that Word because it is your desire and passion to be Holy and acceptable.
I don’t ever want to do anything that is not Holy or acceptable before God. When a bad attitude comes up that was about to go on display, I have to check it quickly! I cannot afford any of those kinds of moments in my life because I don’t know who’s watching me and believe me, it affects the people around you.
“Well, me and God have to work this thing out.” Unfortunately, you don’t have that kind of time because you made a commitment to be a Christian when you gave your life to God. Mediocrity is no longer an acceptable excuse!
“Oops, I accidentally got pregnant out of wedlock.” Wait a minute. What was going on in your mind that allowed you to think that is Holy and acceptable? I tell my children that even when you get married, there is
no such thing as an accidental pregnancy. Once you stand at the altar and say, “I do,” pregnancy can happen that night. That’s your “planned parenthood.” You planned to get married; you planned to have the bridesmaids line up next to you; you planned to have the car waiting to take you and your husband away...THAT is your “planned” parenthood and that is Holy and acceptable!
I have so many young married women telling me, “I just don’t want to get pregnant again.” Well, that’s what happens when you do what married people do and again, it IS Holy and acceptable! When we present our bodies to things that are not Holy and acceptable to the Lord, this is when we fall short and have challenges. When we have a bad attitude towards someone or have an argument with them, we are presenting ourselves to them and it is not Holy and acceptable.
8 THE STANDARD | January 2020