Does the Best have an Enemy?

Wednesday, October 12

Does The Best Have An Enemy?
By: Shane Beauvais

Sometimes the enemy of the best is the good.

This phrase may sound strange initially.
I get it. 
You may wonder how anything good could rival what is best. 

Recently, I purchased some new running shoes. Based on my running profile, the recommended options were ordered as good and the best.

Of course, I wanted the best, but no matter my choice, how could I choose wrong? 

After all, when it comes down to choice, the good and the best reside on the same team, right? 

No matter our choice, the outcome is still positive.

This idea may be tough to consider, but what insight can be gained if we place this phrase in the context of our daily schedules? 

Think about that for a second.

In Luke 10:38-42, Jesus is visiting the home of Martha and Mary. Although Martha made good choices in preparation for this gathering, she was anxious and troubled about many things. On the brink of burnout and distracted by the multiplicity of the many good activities around her, Martha had too much going on. She could not see how spending time doing good things kept her from being present for the best things.

Jesus made it clear in this story that Mary made the best choice (v. 42), but I wonder how many of us can relate. How many of us are running the risk of drowning in the good that fills our schedules? Some of us are burning the candle at both ends, and the pressure is real. We fill our plates with all of the good things, and when the best thing arrives, we have no room.

A hard lesson in my life was discerning how to choose what is good over what is best. And then, one day, it hit me. 

The enemy of the best has been the demise of many, but those who burn out never see it coming. 

How can this be? 

The answer is simple. 

A schedule full of good choices will always be a blinder to a schedule balanced with the best choices.

Discerning between the good and the best is not denouncing Martha’s heart to do good. We should seek opportunities to do good continually. 

Like Martha, Mary likely had a schedule full of good things. 

However, if we focus on Mary’s posture as a wise disciple, our schedules should simplify, and our attention can be fully present in the most critical areas of our lives.

As you discern between what is good and best, what areas could be simplified in your life so you can have a more intimate relationship with Jesus? After all, He is the best choice.