The good or the best

                       Just a little food for weekend thought:
     This is from Lilias Trotter, missionary in Algeria for 38 years in the late 19th century.  Lilias was an extraordinarily gifted artist.  In fact, the great artist, critic and social philosopher, John Ruskin, discovered her and took her under his wing to teach and encourage her art.
     But Lilias also loved the Lord and devoted much of her time to missions work in the streets of London.  Finally Ruskin gave her an ultimatum--she needed to stop dividing her time and energy and instead devote herself to her art.  If she did, he told her, "she would be the greatest living painter and do things that would be immortal."
     Lilias struggled mightily with her decision and prayed that God would make His calling clear.  She loved art and knew God could use her influence in the art world for His Kingdom purposes.  But in the end, she realized "I see as clear as daylight now, I cannot give myself to painting in the way he [Ruskin] means and continue to seek 'first the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness.'"
     But here are the words she later wrote about all this (and what convicting, searching words they are):

               "Never has it been so easy to live in half a dozen good harmless worlds at once--art, music, social science, games, motoring, the following of some profession, and so on.  And between them we run the risk of drifting about, the 'good' hiding the 'best.'...
                It is easy to find out whether our lives are focussed, and if so, where the focus lies.  Where do our thoughts settle when consciousness comes back in the morning?  Where do they swing back when the pressure is off during the day?.... Dare to have it out with God... and ask Him to show you whether or not all is focused on Christ and His glory...
                How do we bring things to a focus in the world of optics?  Not by looking at the things to be dropped, but by looking at the one point that is to be brought out.  Turn your soul's vision to Jesus, and look and look and look at Him, and a strange dimness will come over all that is apart from Him."

     Lord, only You know our (or at least my) persistent tendency to wander and to settle for the busy good in our lives rather than seeking Your ultimate best.  Give us perceptive vision to see where "our thoughts settle" and then give us ruthless focus in weeding out the detritus in favor of, in the words of Oswald Chambers, giving "our utmost for Your highest."  For only in that pursuit will we find our greatest joy and fullest satisfaction for which our hearts long.
     To God be the glory.