It's OK Not to Be the Best

Today’s episode explores the story of Mephibosheth, a man invited to King David’s table despite his limitations, symbolizing God’s acceptance of us as we are. We discuss the freedom found in letting go of comparison and embracing our value in God’s eyes.

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### Key Points:

1. **Mephibosheth’s Story**  
   - King David honored his promise to Jonathan by inviting Mephibosheth, a disabled descendant, to dine at his table—showing how God’s love invites us as we are.

2. **Letting Go of Comparison**  
   - Constant comparison fuels self-doubt. True peace comes from knowing our worth doesn’t depend on being “the best.”

3. **Self-Fulfilling Beliefs**  
   - Believing we aren’t “enough” can limit us. God values us for who we are, not what we achieve.

4. **Embracing Unique Strengths**  
   - Focusing on personal strengths brings more satisfaction than competing with others.

5. **Confidence in God’s Standards**  
   - God values faithfulness, not worldly success. Trust that you belong at God’s table because of His grace.

**Final Reflection:**  
God’s love is about belonging, not competing. Embrace who you are and bring your best to God, knowing you’re accepted as you are. 

**Keywords:**  
Mephibosheth, King David, overcoming comparison, God’s grace, Christian podcast

Transcript

 Today's episode is titled it's. Okay. To not be the best.  

Today, we're going to explore the story of Mephibosheth a man who was invited to the King's table, just as he was despite his limitations. We're going to talk about the freedom that comes from knowing God does not ask us to be the best.  And how letting go of comparison. Can transform our lives. Let's get started.  

Let's start with the story of my FIBA. Seth. I don't know if you've heard about him, but it's in second Samuel chapter nine, he's a descendant of Saul.  And what happened was king. David had made a promise to Jonathan.  Back when Saul was still king.  That when David becomes king, he will show kindness. To any.  

Descendant. Of Jonathan and.  He was there and he asked. Who's left are Jonathan's family. And. My FIBA, Seth was the only one left.  He said, we'll bring them here.  And here's the thing about him.  My FEMA says whenever Saul was fleeing the castle, his family took him to put him on a horse.  The The nurse, a little trainer, the. The baby, the babysitter, whatever caretaker, put them on that horse. 

And he fell off and he had been crippled ever since as a little child could not walk.  

So here. Is this. What society would call a worthless mate.  He had no way of earning an income.  

And yet he was sitting at the King's table.  He did not need a miracle to do that.  He did not need a prophet to come and lay his hand on him. In say rise. And walk.  He was invited. To come to the table. As a cripple.  

Now who gets invited to those King's table, but the best of the best.  And it was bragging rights. Oh, I'm at the King's table or.  I am special.  

What was on my heart?  Today.  

If sometimes we do the same.  We look across the ministry.  And this really applies in life, but. My podcast is named a ministers, but if anyone's listening, we look across the hall. And we see.  

What we look at as, I don't know if we look at them as are the standard, we should be. Maybe we look at them as competition. I don't know, but we compare ourselves. And think I'm not at that level.  I'm crippled. I'm broken. Or whatever our flaw may be, and we feel unworthy to be at the table.  But God invites us as we are. Broken and all. We were given a seat.  By his grace and not by our performance.  



So we need to learn. 

Here's.  What I just now learned, and maybe this may be old news to you. Maybe you're rocking it, your mental health.  But I'm 43 and I just realized. What I've been doing to myself.  

People think of me as having no shame because of how outgoing I am, but I really do. And.  I've told you before on this podcast that I used to be shy. So my roots. Are introverted. Okay. I forced myself to become an extrovert, but deep inside. I still have an insecurity that caused me to be shy.  

I've never, I was always a year younger than all my classmates. Because my birthday's in September.  And I was smaller than them. In high school that doesn't make a difference, but in kindergarten, first and second grade, that one year fiscal development mattered a lot.  So I was shorter, slower weaker than the rest, and they all knew it and they picked on me. I'm not here to give you a sad story, but it led on it led to other things.  And here I am in my ministry. Still not feeling like I'm one of the cool kids.  Still not feeling like I'm belonging at the table. I was never the guy that got all the girls. 

I was never the guy that was popular. I was never the guy that people wanted to be.  And.  Again, You may say no dumb, like we're not supposed to do that, but yet here we are as adults. And I feel that I'm not the only one. God put this on my heart to share it with you. I'm not the only one that has that.  

We look at other ministers starting out and they have all these opportunities that we don't have. Why do they get to preach out? Why do they get invited? To S to take up offering here. Why are they getting that opportunity? Why not me?  And we, and maybe.  Rather than getting. Angry or jealous. We started instead feel inferior. And not that we should feel angry or jealous either, but we start to feel I'm not good enough.  I'm not the best.  I'm not as good as they are. 

That's why they're getting opportunities and I'm not.  

And then this self doubt builds up.  Now it is a common nature we're raised from childbirth to compete. And I was very adamant with my kids. You do not have to be the best. You just have to give me your best.  

Because I didn't want them to feel like they were never good enough.  Because I know how that felt. Not that my parents were ultra competitive, but I know how it feels to not feel good enough. In my ministry as well, and other things in life.  I didn't swing for the fences. Because I was afraid of striking out.  I was happy to sit on the bench and just be part of the team. Let someone else get up there and in swing.  If they hit a. The ball and hit for a home run. 

Great. We're on the same team. We all win.  But if they don't they're the ones that struck out, not me.  Now I wasn't a coward about it though. If my number was called and they said, Yates cigarette bet. Okay. I'll grab my bet.  And I'll go up and I'll do the best job I can.  Having played. Sports. I never did swing for the fence.  Because I knew in my heart, I didn't feel I could hit a home run.  So I was happy with ground balls, just knocking it, just pass first base, whatever, you know. And I never would. Swing for the fence because in my heart, I wasn't good enough to hit a home run.  

And in ministry, there's been times where I've.  

For fear of not doing well enough. And to just go ahead and get ahead of the rejection before I could even fail, I just won't give failure that opportunity.  I'll let my brother try.  

It added up all these years.  

And myself. Confidence. My self worth.  My self esteem was taking a hit.  

And you.  My dear friends, you have to believe in yourself.  God, didn't call you. Because he needs.  Bench warmers.  He didn't call you just to fill up a roster spot. He called you to serve.  The Bible does say that.  I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made. You are wonderfully made you either believe it. Or you don't.  

Eh, psychology has something called a self fulfilling prophecy.  

And the principle is suggests that when we believe we aren't enough, We act in ways that reinforce that belief.  

So by doubting ourselves, we may limit our own potential and not step into the full life that God has for us.  

God does not call us because we're enough by our standards. But because he is enough. When we step out in faith. His strength becomes evident. In our weakness.  

Today is Sunday November the 10th. This is veteran's day weekend.  Tomorrow is veteran's day.  And I know. This relates to veterans as well, because some veterans don't like veterans day. Why.  Because they don't have great war stories. There, they don't see themselves as the heroes of the people that they feel were inspired, that the ones actually inspired veteran's day. I just did my time. 

All, I didn't really do anything that great.  

I've heard it from Christians. Because I never went and did drugs and alcohol in.  And have a big testimony. I can't be used. I need a testimony to be used.  Serving God is your testimony. The fact that God can use you, is your testimony effective. You don't have to do that. Is your testimony. Dear veteran, every service council you were available, and if you were not there, someone else had to be there. 

So you feel it in, you did your job. And too often we minimize our value because it doesn't live up to our own standards.  But God never called us to live up to our standards. He just asked us to trust him.  And to live for him.  

So we need to.  Trust a scripture.  On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable. First Corinthians 12 and 22. And I'm using the NIV the today trying something new.  Every part of the body of Christ is essential. Not because of a dramatic story, but because God values each one.  

So we need to.  Oh, overcome this desire to be the best God never demands that he asks for faithfulness, not comparison.  Trying to be the best can lead to an unhealthy desire for approval.  And let me.  Challenge you on this note.  What if you are successful. Trying to be competitive. What if you are successful trying to be comparing to someone else?  

Is God blessing you.  Maybe, but what if you're actually just skilled at that?  

In what happens to people like that?  Gotta be careful cause I've seen it. They become arrogant. And proud.  In their ministry is based on their pride.  Look at what I have done. Look it. What I am doing. Look how God is using. Me.  

So be careful.  If we're trying to base our ministry on results.  That means we were taking credit for the results.  And we can't do that.  All we can worry about is the effort. Oh,  God. Handles the results.  

Jonathan Arno teaches.  He's as Christ and measure of success is our faithfulness to him, not our position compared to others.  

Be happy with who God has called you to be.  And be the best that you can at that.  Not everyone's called to pastor a thousand member church. Not everyone was called to evangelize. Not everyone is called to.  And when I say evangelize and talking about travel church to. church. Not everyone is called to sing everywhere. But we're all called to serve.  And that successful.  It's okay. To not be the best.  Just trust. That God can anoint you where you are at.  We need to move past that comparison and have confidence in God's love.  That comparison never comes from God.  He never compared a Saint to a Saint. And he did ask the devil have fell, considered my servant job, but he wasn't comparing job to anyone.  God is not that father says, why can't you be like your brother?  That's not God.  We are the ones comparing. I've made this comment before and you may think it's off topic and I'm gonna try to bring it back in topic. I'm going to pick on women.  women. will go nuts.  Comparing themselves with each other.  With the intention of impressing a man. It's to it's the stupidest thing. They will stress out over address. That a man won't even notice.  They won't wear the same dress twice as if a man will notice.  Okay. 

They spend so much effort trying to impress women.  But at the same time they want a man.  And they'll go by. Very expensive purse. No man has ever said. Look at that purse. I need to get her number.  No.  But women are so  convinced that they have to beat the other woman. That becomes their goal.  But if they were actually trying to.  Learn how to.  When someone's heart. They wouldn't even worry about competing with another woman. They would just get to know the guy.  And the men. A lot of men won't even talk to the girl. Cause they don't feel confident enough in the ones who are confident enough, typically are the jerks who are arrogant and proud.  We're all messed up. If we would just quit worrying about comparison. And learn to trust God with who we are.  Man, what a better life we would have.  Second Corinthians 10 and 12 specifically tells us not to measure. It says we dare not classify or compare ourselves with some who commend her come in themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise.  Studies show that. When people focus on their unique strengths, they feel more satisfied and motivated than when they try to outperform others.  Recognizing our strength as God-given can foster contentment and confidence rather than stress. Or competition.  So when we let go of comparison, we find that freedom to embrace our calling and with joy and faith. 

God's love is not a competition. It's a constant invitation to each of us. Just as we are.  I want to conclude with some points here. We. We. have to be. Confident to be enough to come to God's table.  Let me reiterate that God's invitation is one of grace. Just like the FIBA. We are all given a seat at the table.  Not because we run the fastest.  Not because we're the strongest. But because we are loved.  God's kingdom is not about being the best. It's about belonging.  Confidence in Christ means knowing it's okay. Not to be. The best.  We're called to do our best. And God accepts our offering. Imperfect though it may be. With joy. Like the woman with the two lights.  Just give what you can.  So listeners encourage you to leave with assurance that your value is not determined.  By your achievements.  In God's eyes.  He sees your efforts.  I pray that.  God would free us from the need to compare ourselves with others.  Remind us the gift of grace. Remind us are. Of our place at the table.  And help us embrace that place with confidence that we can come boldly before the throne of grace.  That we may find help in time of need. Knowing that we are all loved.  Whether we are as talented or not as talented.  Doesn't that feel better knowing you don't have to be as good as someone else.  Oh, I hope it helps somebody.  Please.  Don't be like me be better than me.  And I'm not trying to compare you to me. I'm just telling him, learn from my mistakes.  So by the time you're 43, you're ahead of where I am now.  I love you. I appreciate you.