“Just do your best!”⁣

I know that many people have pure intentions when they say it. ⁣

But I have a hard time with it because… ⁣

How am I supposed to know if I did my best?⁣

There are some days where my the TV is on for a lot of the day.

And I think… was I really doing my best today?⁣

Sometimes, I’m super sick, or totally overwhelmed, or utterly exhausted, and I think that I did my absolute best for keeping children alive that day. ⁣

But other days, I wonder. ⁣

Was that really my best, or am I giving myself an out?⁣

It’s hard to know. ⁣

But I find comfort in the Lord’s beautiful advice to avoid laboring more than I have strength. ⁣

“Do not run faster or labor more than you have strength… be diligent unto the end.” (D&C 10:4)

Because I’ve realized that my strength really is different each day.⁣

Some days, I have strength to conquer the world and look good doing it. ⁣

And other days I have to muster the strength to care for my kids and all that they need, and I look like a hot mess doing it. ⁣

PLUS every single person has different “strength” each day, too!⁣

Comparing my amount of strength to other people’s amount of strength is the fastest way to feel pretty terrible about myself. ⁣

So instead, I’ve started thinking… “Man, good for them. I’m so glad she had strength to organize that for her family today.”⁣

Don’t run too fast. Don’t labor more than you have strength. ⁣

But find comfort in the fact that the craziness of mortal bodies and mortal trials gives us different levels on different days. ⁣

And when we don’t know if we are “doing our best” or just slacking off, we can follow the Lord’s advice in the very next verse. ⁣

Pray. Pray always. ⁣

And that’s how I get the nudge to push myself a little more, or to take a breather. ⁣

Because the Lord knows my strength.⁣

He isn’t judging me on a sum total of my actions each day. ⁣

He knows what I can do, what I can’t do, and what I need support on. ⁣

And He will gladly send His Spirit to give me this wisdom each and every day. ⁣

All I have to do is ask.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

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