“Well that’s a no-brainer!”
Whenever I hear the expression “no-brainer” it gives me pause now that I know the important truth that good is the enemy of best. “Piece of cake”, “Easy”, “Obvious”…those are the synonyms for no-brainer that pop up on the powerthesaurus.com. But are the best things for us always easy or obvious?
I had two traditional publishers offer to publish my first Just Ask Jesus Series book. They looked like good deals. They fed my ego to receive them. But that was not how God wanted to go. He had a better plan for me. When I let go of those opportunities, God opened wide the storehouses of heaven and provided for me in ways I would never have expected.
God lives in the heart of the believer, not the head. Things that seem wise and logical in our natural world and not always what is in our best interest or what God has planned for us. God’s ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts are wiser than our thoughts.
Satan wants us to jump at good
I believe that Satan loves to dangle good, even very good, in front of our faces; things that look so good that they appear to be “no brainers” to us. Why would he do that? Doesn’t Satan only want bad things for us? He does it because good is the enemy of best. If you take the good deal, you never feel the need to drop to your knees and seek God’s face for His best. When we settle for good, we miss out on God’s best.
Satan whispers in your ear the thought: “That’s such a good deal, I don’t even need to pray about it.” How much of God’s best have you let go by because you settled for the mediocrity of good? You may never know.
God’s plans are the best
Jeremiah 29:11 says “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” The plans GOD has for you are the best ones. I want those plans for me, don’t you? They are plans to prosper me and give me hope and a future. I want nothing less than God’s best plans.
Just ask Jesus
Jesus, help me understand this business about good being the enemy of best.
“Any decision that seems obvious to you in the natural should make you step back. Tune in to Me and pray. Desire only for MY best. Never assume that you know what that is either. Ask Me. I’ll tell you what is the best direction, plan or opportunity. I see things you can’t see. I know things you don’t know. I coordinate and orchestrate the resources of heaven on your behalf. Ask Me what the BEST is and I will surely give it to you. Never allow Satan to rob you by having you settle for less than My best by dangling good in front of you. Seek My Face, tune to Me and I will show you how to find the road to your very best plans!”
This is a truly indicative of how God has directed my life. When making decisions, the Holy Spirit is always gives me the scripture “Be still and know that I am God.” Several years ago I attended ministry school and at graduation the overseer stressed the kexpression “ don’t settle”. This has always rises up in my spirit when seeking the Father’s best. Thank you.
Thanks, Carolyn. I love that tiny reminder to not settle for less than God’s best!