The Best I Can Be

The Best I Can Be

 

by Carl Colbert

 

“And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ”

(Colossians 3:23-24, KJV)

 

The 1984 film “Eddie and the Cruisers,” from the novel by P.F. Kluge, told the story of a young man named Eddie Wilson who wanted to be the best. While not Christian in its perspective, the movie highlights struggles on the path to greatness. Eddie and his 1960’s band hit the screen with swagger and spunk like the big-time rockers they wanted to become. Though clad in leather and snarls, the band’s leader hit roadblocks wherever he turned.

His own band claimed, “We ain’t great. We’re just some guys from Jersey.”

His management spoke against their music, saying “This stuff is dark and strange!”

Eddie’s response was “If you can’t be great, than there’s no sense in ever playing music again.” In a fit of depression, Eddie Wilson drove his car off a nearby bridge. His body was never discovered.

The movie was based on the life of 19^th Century French surrealist Arthur Rimbaud, who was devoted to being a premier poet. I won’t give the film’s twist away, but will say Rimbaud’s works were quoted in the movie.

When I sit down to write I often feel like Eddie. Who am I kidding? I’m just a guy from Florida. I can’t write. Nobody wants to read my stuff. What’s the sense in ever writing again?

But, I’ve got resources to turn me away from racing over the cliff of despair. Unlike the hopeless Cruiser, I have a different road for success which holds out lasting hope. If I focus on the lyrics of Proverbs 16:3, I can shift my mind into a more positive gear. King Solomon reminded his son to “Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established” (KJV).

If I commit my writing to the Lord, I will be serving Christ. In faith-based or neutral messages, I will be doing what He’s called me to do. I won’t be free from the challenges of my bill-paying job, lack of interest from publishers, or the many interruptions I face, but I will be the best author I can be.

 

Sweet Father, help me to step out of myself and allow you to make me the best that I can be. In myself I am nothing. In you I am all. I can continue to write, even if nobody else ever reads my works. It’s all for you, Father; and that’s the only applause I need.  Amen

 

 

 

Carl Colbert—no relation to the famous comedian—is a new writer with a huge imagination. Well-read and varied in his experiences, Carl has regaled his daughters with stories from his Air Force and Air Guard career, his private technical vocation, and growing up amid the social turmoil of the 1960s and 1970s.