Tops

The best march to a different drum.  Michael Jordan at the peak of his game did things nobody thought were possible.  Tiger Woods plays a different sport when he is at his best.  Ernst Shackleton redefined what it meant to be a leader.  Gandhi took revolution into a whole new dimension.  As one goes through sports, politics, art, diplomacy, and any position of responsibility one finds the best are doing something different.  Often the best are reviled in their time.  Even with proven results the best often face cynics who do not seem to go away.
 
Yet in spite of onslaught, in the face of adversity, and even when there is no reward, the best keep on doing what they know to be right.  It is as if they have found the precious jewels within their values and priorities.  Others continue to seek affirmation and approval.  Others follow the norm.  Others do not recognize the pearls they hold.  The best let the discovery transform their lives.  They let the experience shape every action to follows.  Turmoil, controversy, and obstacles do not, will not, and cannot interfere with the mission at hand.
 
Being the best isn’t about being perfect.  The best make mistakes, often far too many to count.  This isn’t the part of life which defines them.  The definition of what makes them good is the high points.  Everything turns on the moment of discovery and realization.  Because in that moment they know, others know that the best give from the heart.  It is the heart giving birth to results which gives others cause to reflect. 
 
I want to be the best.  One great ones said of others who could be great that “they are no more defined by the world than I am defined by the world.” (John 17.16)  This is something we can all take to heart.  We can be the very best.  It is our mission.  It is our challenge.  It is the “thing” God calls us to.  It starts in our heart’s values and priorities.  They define our mission and it’s different.