Doing our best

Ever since the story of Abel and Cain, the idea of doing our best has been consistently inculcated in us. It is actually the law that rules us. We therefore have to avoid - and if we cannot avoid them, then to remove or at least to minimize - traces and tendencies to be lazy, complacent, and, worst, self-satisfied.

In the Book of Genesis, the first murder took place soon after our first parents were driven out of Paradise. Cain, the first child of Adam and Eve, became jealous of his brother, Abel, because his offering was not accepted by God while that of Abel was.

What was the reason for the rejection? The Bible narrative speaks of God's words to Cain:  "Why are you furious? And why are you downcast? If you do right, won't you be accepted? But if thou do not do right, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must master it." (Gen 4,6-7)

In short, Cain's heart was not with God when he made his offering, a fact that already gives us the idea of what primarily would comprise doing and giving our best. It is the intention, the motive, and not so much what and how we are doing and giving. These latter would come only as a consequence of the former.

And the motive of our offering which actually covers everything that we are, that we have and that we do, should be love for God who is our Creator and Father. It should be to give glory to Him.

It is a matter of giving our whole heart, the very core of our being, to God, from whom it comes and to whom it belongs. Let us be convinced that our true home is when we are with God, and not when we are simply by ourselves, thus making our own world.

St. Paul reiterates this truth when he said: "Whether you eat and drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." (1 Cor 10,31) We need to convince ourselves that this attitude is what would make us truly happy and free.

We need to savor Christ's words when he said: "Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well." (Mt 6,33) Following these words obviously requires some self-denial and sacrifice, and Christ already warned us about this. With God's grace, we just have to live those words.

We have to see the great wisdom of what Christ also said about losing and gaining one's life, and make it the basis of our over-all attitude of hope as we go through the adventure of life. "He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for my sake will find it." (Mt 10,39)

Many other similar expressions of divine logic can be found in the gospels. "Everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or lands, for my name's sake, will receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life. But many that are first will be last, and the last first." (Mt 19,29-30)

All these truths in their proper order need to be broadcast again since they are practically forgotten by many of us. We seem to be pursuing only our own will over that of God, thinking that we would be truly happy and free that way.

The main idea is to see to it that our intention is good, that it is for the glory of God, and that if we start straying from a God-oriented intention. We should rectify it as soon as possible.

Doing our best and giving it our best shot begin here. We have to be wary of several ways to delude ourselves that we are doing our best because we seem to be driven by passion, or what we are doing is technically perfect and advanced, etc.

Let us remember Christ's words: "What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?" (Lk 9,25) Let's be guided by these words and learn how to resist the many and very subtle worldly allurements that can nullify this divine lesson.

The most urgent and challenging task to do now is how to learn to resist many addicting ways that subvert the true order of things in doing things and doing them the best that we can.

This basic and indispensable truth of our faith should penetrate our minds and hearts so immersed now in worldliness and technology!