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Real Life Lessons

Do Your Best, Forget The Rest

Many high achievers tend to be perfectionists. Diligent to the extreme. There are good things to be said of this approach. Wisdom literature, particularly that found in the Hebrew and Christian text of Proverbs, teaches us to be diligent (hard working, paying attention to detail, working with excellence) in whatever we approach.

But many of us are not satisfied with just doing our best. We like to think we must control the outcome of everything we touch, not only at our work, but tragically, with our family and friendships as well. We become workaholics and/or "control freaks," destroying ourselves and everyone around us in the process.

We fear that our best is not enough, so we have to cover every single possibility working (worrying) sixty, seventy, or eighty hour weeks. In other words, we make the mistake of thinking that we are God. The inevitable result? "Burn out," and burnt out relationships and careers. Workaholism has the same effect as alcoholism; it destroys the workaholic, his family, friendships and coworkers.

Of course, one can still be a worrier, and not a workaholic. Some of us aren't necessarily workaholics, we are worry-aholics. When we are not working, we spend a lot of time worrying about what we've done (or not done), "was it enough"; "will it be OK?"

But since we are not God, we simply won't know until the final results are in, whether our work or efforts are successful. No matter how much we worry, it won't help. Jesus said, "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself, each day has enough trouble of its own." (Matthew 6:34) "Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?" (Matthew 6:27)

As the Wisdom of the Ages teaches us, the final outcome of our efforts is truly in God's hands. "The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord." (Proverbs 16:33) All we can do is make our very best effort and forget the rest (by leaving the final outcome in God's hands). Certainly, that is all God expects of us. He has given each one of us a certain level of ability, and certain talents that He expects us to develop to the highest potential (Matthew 25), but at the end of the day God simply expects us to do the best we can, given our abilities and situation. The rest is up to Him. So do your best and forget the rest. (Proverbs 3:5-6)