Give your Best to Your Best
Proverbs 5:9 give us some interesting advice. It says, “Lest thou give thine honour unto others, and thy years unto the cruel:”
If you wonder what it takes to have meaningful, incredible relationships, here it is…Give your best to your best. I heard one person say it this way, “Invest the most into those who will cry the deepest at your funeral.”
Too often we give our best to every person around us except the ones who really matter, those who are the best in our lives. We let our work, hobbies and social circle take priority. Before you realize it, you find yourself chasing after the blessings of those to whom you are not even close.
I’m not saying you should not go the second mile at work or play a round of golf with a friend (or even an acquaintance). You should strive to work harder than everyone around you, and there is nothing wrong with having a favorite hobby! However, the problem arises when we place the wrong people and things at the center of our lives.
I recently read one person who describes the relationships that we have to the rings of a tree. Each new ring represents your relationships. The closer they are to that original core circle indicates how close they are to you.
Who’s in your center circle? Do you have any layers or is everyone lumped in together? Are there people in your center circle who should be moved to an outer layer?
In my own life, the only people in my center circle are my wife and kids. The only way to get into that first circle is to be born into it or marry into it. My circle has grown by three people. Once nearly seven years ago when I married my beautiful wife. It grew again five years ago when my daughter was born, and then again two years ago when my son was born. Someday, my children will get married (many, many years from now!), and my circle will grow again to receive their spouses. Then with the birth of grandchildren (many, many years from now!), that circle will expanded again.
I must give my all to those in my inner-most circle. At the end of the day, they are the ones who will cry the deepest at my funeral. Sure I have other friends and family, some closer than others to the center ring, and I care for them deeply. But they are not in that center ring. Those in that center ring are my best and they deserve my best!
I want to encourage you to give your best to the ones that matter the most in you life. Pour your heart into the people that will still be standing beside you when the dust settles. Give your best to your best!
