The news dropped out of nowhere. Then it embarrassed me. Then it shocked me. I’m a simple working writer – neither famous nor important. I just wrestle with this curious work – writing – and seek to serve with it. Still, to be honest, I wanted more. As petty as it sounds, I longed to write a “best seller.” Make it happen, Lord, I actually prayed that. (Can you imagine?) Yet, it didn’t happen.

So, over time, I must’ve stopped worrying about it. Come morning every day, I just put my hand to the plow and kept working, slowly noticing the work becoming its own joy.

Then, out of the blue, a few days ago, something did happen. And I felt confused. Unsure? You, too, may have experienced the odd surprise when a longtime prayer gets answered. The shock can give us pause. Do we tell God thank you? Are we ready for it? I wasn’t sure at first how to react.

In fact, it was an ordinary day. So, I was gobsmacked to discover that one of my humbling books – a devotional written nearly ten years ago — was now a “best seller.”

Nobody called me. The heavens didn’t open. My publisher didn’t text. Angels didn’t sing. Instead, a friend asked what devo to give her daughter for Christmas. So, daring to suggest mine, I copied and shared a link to my publisher and there it was – a happy banner next to my book with two words: best seller.

I gasped. And, yes. I jumped from my desk and did a happy dance. Then I hurried to tell my husband. He gave me a thumbs up — two thumbs up, actually. “Great job, sugar pie!”

Then I went back to work.

That’s because as soon I saw the best-seller tag, I stopped still to realize this utter truth: We’re already “the best” with God. That’s how He see us.

Yes, me. Yes, you. With God as our Helper, we’re already His winners, which surely sounds like a cliché. But it’s real and it’s true. With Him, we’ve always been His number one — this year, last year, every year. So, all those wasted times worrying, while I skulked around watching other authors stand tall in the spotlight with their famous books, envying their “success,” I forgot to remember the Lord’s promise about me and my humble work: “You are precious and honored in my sight” (Isaiah 43:4).

That’s right. The Lord thinks I’m the bee’s knees. No better yet, He says I’m the apple of His eye. (Psalm 17:8, Zechariah 2:8) That’s how He sees me. And you, too.

“You are mine,” the Lord says (Isaiah 43:1). “I have summoned you by name.”

Indeed, He gave His sinless life for us.

So, never mind that we’re not “famous” or big time or that a goal remains afar. Never mind that our ministries, church work, or day-to-day labor isn’t a social-media sensation with zillions of follows. Never mind that our books or missions or brands haven’t made a splash. Here’s what matters: “You are precious and honored in my sight.”

So, we’re already loved, already good, already saved, already blessed, already regarded by God and held by Him in high esteem. We’re already His best.

Clinging to that truth, I can resist the struggle to strain more to be even better or to toil for more accolades or to work harder to promote my “winning” book.

In Christ, we can lay down such burdens. He already did the best work, accomplishing for us all that we could seek to achieve – plus all that matters most. So, we’re already saved, already good, already blessed, already best.

Reflecting on this good news, I considered adding some wise writer takeaway to this little story. Instead, I’ll share again that one Bible truth I needed to remember all along.

“You are precious and honored in my sight.”

As this New Year rumbles into itself, that’s the perspective to walk in and know. He sees you, and He is pleased.

So, we’re already the best. But should we be surprised? Our God Himself is great.

 

[bctt tweet=”We’re already His best, so we can resist the struggle to strain more to be even better or to toil for more accolades. -@PatriciaRaybon:” username=”incourage”]

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