While reading Colossians 3 this morning, I couldn’t stop thinking about the Foo Fighters.

In what is probably my favorite Foo Fighters song, “Best of You”, Dave Grohl asks a brilliant question, “Is someone getting the best of you?”

Ah, that Dave Grohl really knows how to ask a great question! Those of you who know me well are fully aware of the fact that I am a sucker for all things Foo. There is just something about Grohl and the Foo Fighters that my inner being can’t resist. Most likely it’s the distortion…or the heavy pounding on the drums. Whatever it is that draws me to the Foo, when I hear a Foo Fighters song, I simply stop and listen.

So, while reading Colossians 3, I paused to listen to “Best of You”. The energy of the music really gets me going. The passion of Grohl’s vocals grasps my attention. And, the depth of the lyrics…especially the question, “is someone getting the best of you” makes me think.

My favorite point of the song is when Grohl sings:
Has someone taken your faith?
Its real, the pain you feel
The life, the love you’d die to heal
The hope that starts the broken hearts
You trust, you must confess
Is someone getting the best, the best, the best, the best of you?

The question is a great one. Is someone getting the best of you? We could take this in a couple of ways.

One way of looking at this would be to ask if someone is simply draining the life out of us…getting our best to the point where we are at the end of our rope. You know, the people who inflict pain, cause us to lose hope and faith, the people who break our hearts…If that is so, there are things that we need to do in order to “fix” that.

Now, of course, as a pastor…my mind always goes to the question of, “is God getting the best of you?” It’s a great question. One that we all need to spend some time pondering…and then adjusting our lifestyle that God will indeed get our best.

However, I think we need to ask this question in all areas of our lives.

Is my spouse/partner getting the best of me?
Are my children getting the best of me?
Are my co-workers getting the best of me?
Are my friends getting the best of me?
Am I giving my best or what’s leftover?
Am I giving my best or am I simply going through the motions…doing enough to simply get by?

“Whatever you do, whether in speech or action, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus and give thanks to God the Father through him.” ~Colossians 3:17

I believe if we are doing all things in the “name of the Lord Jesus”, that will help us strive to give our best. If we love our spouse/partner “in the name of the Lord Jesus”, he/she will get our best. If we interact and love our children “in the name of the Lord Jesus”, they will get our best. If we work “in the name of the Lord Jesus”, our employers and our colleagues will get our best. If we are present and available to our friends “in the name of the Lord Jesus”, they will get our best.

So, who is getting the best of you?

“Whatever you do, do it from the heart for the Lord and not for people.” ~Colossians 3:23