DON’T SETTLE FOR LESS THAN GOD’S BEST

By Michael Youssef, Ph D.  03/11/23

Sadly, it is a common story in the Christian life that God calls us to something wonderful, but we settle for something mediocre along the way and run the risk of missing out on the great things God had planned for us. When God called Abraham, He told him, “Go . . . to the land I will show you” (Genesis 12:1). At the time, that land was called Canaan. But when Abraham first left Ur, the city of his birth, he only made it as far as Harran, which was a long way off from Canaan and far from God’s best for him.

One of the reasons God called Abraham to leave his old life in Ur was that He wanted to free Abraham from his family’s idol worship. God told him, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household” (Genesis 12:1). He knew Abraham needed a clean break from his old way of life.

But Abraham didn’t quite make the clean break God desired. Instead, he compromised by allowing Terah, his father, to travel with him (see Genesis 11:31-32). This first compromise allowed for additional compromises—an eventual landslide of them.

The temptation to compromise and settle for less is something we all will face. When this temptation comes, we must stand strong in the promises of God. We miss out on God’s best when we compromise with the world or take matters into our own hands. In Abraham’s case, he believed he was honoring his father by settling in Harran. He also thought he was helping fulfill God’s promise when he slept with Hagar. But thank the Lord for His graciousness! He didn’t leave Abraham in his sin or forsake him because of his failures. The good news is that God will also do the same for us, no matter how we may have compromised. He stands ready to lead us to His perfect plan for our lives if only we will follow.

Prayer: Lord, thank You that You will never forsake me and that You are working for my good and Your glory. Help me to obey Your will, remembering that You have great plans for my life. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

“The Lord had said to Abram, ‘Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you'” (Genesis 12:1).