God expects the best from each one of us! A reading of the book of Malachi will teach us that God was not pleased with His Old Testament people because they did not give Him the best they had. They “offered polluted bread upon mine altar, the blind for sacrifice; the lame and the sick, is it not evil. . .?” (Mal. 1:7-8). God challenged them by saying: “. . . offer it now to your governor; will he be pleased with thee? . . .” (Mal. 1:8). They “would shut the doors for nought; neither do ye kindle fire on mine altar for nought. I have no pleasure in you, saith the Lord of hosts, neither will I accept an offering at your hand” (Mal. 1:10). They looked upon serving the Lord as “a weariness” (Mal. 1:13). They just didn’t care; apathy had set in. God still expects the best of us: A good passage to read is 1 Corinthians 10:1-12! Let’s take a look at some areas in which we need to give God our best:

1. Our Talents. All of us have some talent. The talent-parable finds men with five, two and one talents (Matt. 25:14-30). Talents stand for our ability. Not all of us have the same talent; they differ as the one, two, and five talent men. God expected the best of each of these, as he does of us. Some bury their talent, hiding behind “I was afraid,” as the one talent man did (Matt. 25:25). Talents have to be developed! We need song leaders, Bible class teachers, preachers, elders, deacons, wives, mothers, fathers and children to carry on the Lord’s work! We must be “stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord. . .” (1 Cor. 15:58; John 9:4).

2. Our Worship. The Old Testament is a commentary on mis-directed and false worship of many of the Lord’s people; with idolatry all over the place. There are four kinds of worship mentioned in the Bible: vain (Matt. 15:9); ignorant (Acts 17:23); will (Col. 2:23); in spirit and truth (John 4:24). Our worship must be of the finest sort, as we sing, pray, give, teach, and partake of the Lord’s Supper (Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16; Acts 12:5; 2:42; 1 Cor. 16:2; 11:23-34). Nothing short of our best will do!

3. All We Do. “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord. . .” (Col. 3:17). Everything we do and say must be by the Lord’s authority. A failure to respect that Jesus has “all authority in heaven and in earth” (Matt. 28:18) has caused more problems among the Lord’s people than anything we can think of! As the Lord’s people, we must be “subject unto Christ” (Eph. 5:24), since He is the Head!

4. In Our Dress. Our dress says something about our attitude toward what we are doing. “Modest apparel” is required of all of us (1 Tim. 2:9). Many “dress-up” for a wedding, funeral, or a formal-dinner and then dress for church services so casually that you leave an unconcerned impression on others! Dress with your best, at worship!

5. Where We Live. You might not be aware, but those in your community are watching your living. Remember: Christians are an “epistle . . . known and read of all men” (2 Cor. 3:2). What are your neighbors reading? Are you doing your best when it comes to “being subject to the powers that be” (Rom. 13:1-17)? Do you race down your street, disobeying the speed-limit? Are you a law-abiding citizen (1 Pet. 2:19)? Be the best neighbor in your neighborhood! How you conduct your life says a lot about the church!

6. In Our Families. As the man in the family, he must accept his role as “the head” (1 Cor. 11:3; Eph. 5:23-24); “father” (Eph. 6:4); “husband” (Eph. 5:25, 28, 29, 31, 33; 1 Pet. 3:7); “providing for his own” (1 Tim. 5:8). The woman in the family is to be “subject unto your own husband” (Eph. 5:22, 24, 31); as a “mother, love and teach her children” (Tit. 2:4). Children must be taught to “honor and respect their parents” (Eph. 6:1-2).

7. On Our Jobs. We must not be “slothful in business” (Rom. 12:11). A good attitude toward our work is essential (Eph. 4:28). We need to get to teaching our children to do a good day’s work for a day’s pay! Paul penned: “And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you. . .” (1 Thess. 4:11-12). A good policy: “no work, no eat” (2 Thess. 3:10-15)!

8. In the Lord’s Work. There is no greater work. We must be “stedfast, unmovable, always abounding” in this work (1 Cor. 15:58). We need to get at it “while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work” (John. 9:4). We will be judged by our works (Rev.20:12-15).