Good, Better, Best

Well, another year has just about gone and a new one is about to be born. I hope there will be some significant changes for the good. There will be changes that’s inevitable. But while God is still God and remains unchanged, but we all undergo changes. Wrinkles pop up where once smooth skin rested. We slow down. We can’t see or hear as well, and we may smell even worse. What doesn’t ache, doesn’t count. What isn’t broken, leaks. But there are some positive changes if we will make them.

HOPEFULLY THIS WILL BECOME A WELL USED YEAR AS WE RESOLVE TO DO BETTER.

Really we all need some shaping up, some cutting down, some alteration, some reinforcement. We should remember that old saying, “Good, Better, Best; never let it rest until the Good is Better and the Better is the Best!”

We should be like the old man who said, “I ain’t what I oughta be, and I ain’t what I’m gonna be, but PTL I ain’t what I usta be neither!”

Paul suggests some areas for betterment. We may be doing “Good,” or “Better” and some are making a champion effort at “Best.” But none of us is perfect and our “better” can keep getting better yet.

Let’s hear Paul, “And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ; having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.” Philippians 1:9-11 (NASB).

May we all endeavor to have:

I. BETTER LOVE:

A. “And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more.”

1. This love is not an emotion or feeling or sentiment.

2. This love is not just for those who treat us right or make us feel good.

3. This love is intelligent good will, active benevolence, and deliberate kindness.

B. Another translation of our text says this: “So this is my prayer: that your love will flourish and that you will not only love much but well. Learn to love appropriately. You need to use your head and test your feelings in so that your love is sincere and intelligent, not sentimental gush.” (MSG).

C. Sometimes we get all mixed up about love. Consider a kid’s view of love:

1. "Love is like an avalanche where you have to run for your life." -- John, age 9.

2. "I think you're supposed to get shot with an arrow or something, but the rest of it isn't supposed to be so painful." -- Manuel, age 8.

3. "No one is sure why it happens, but I heard it has something to do with how you smell. That's why perfume and deodorant are so popular." -- Mae, age 9.

4. "Love is the most important thing in the world, but baseball is pretty good too." -- Greg, age 8.

5. "A man and a woman promise to go through sickness and illness and diseases together." -- Marlon, age 10.

6. "Love is foolish...but I still might try it sometime." -- Floyd, age 9.

D. Real love is more than that! John wrote, “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.” 1 John 3:16-18 (NAV). The bottom line is: Love as He loved.

1. He loved: Enemies.

2. He loved: The untouchable.

3. He loved: The despised.

4. He loved: Unconditionally.

5. He loved: Unselfishly and Sacrificially.

6. He loved: Unendingly.

E. Let me illustrate that kind of love. It was February 1941, Auschwitz; Maximilian Kolbe was a Franciscan priest put in the infamous death camp for helping Jews escape Nazi terrorism.

An escape was attempted and failed. The guards followed the rule: for every attempt, 10 prisoners would be executed. One man’s name was called and he asked for mercy as he had a wife and children. Hearing that, Kolbe stepped out and offered to take the man’s place. Permission was granted and his life was forfeit for another.

That’s better love. But we also need:

II. BETTER DISCERNMENT:

A. “And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment.”

1. Someone said, “Discernment is the ability to examine the situation, apply a good dose of experience, stand back and get a perspective on the recipe, and take the appropriate action at the appointed time. It’s what most people would call ‘good judgment.’”