Ecclesiastes 9:10
“Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.”
The verse above is the answer to verse 11 which says, “I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.” Solomon concluded that “time and chance”happen to those who do their best.
He noticed that it wasn't the fastest person who won the race, but it was the person who ran the race with all his might. It wasn’t the strongest person who won the battle, but it was the person who gave his full energy and might who won the battle. Solomon understood that the luckiest people in the world were those who did their best and did it with all their might. Three observations can be learned from the verses above.
First, you don't have to be the best at what you do to be the best. Many times, those who end up being the winners in life are the ones who gave their best effort to what they were doing. You don't have to be the smartest person to be the best, but to be the best you must give your fullest effort to learn so you can have the answers when faced with life’s obstacles. It is not always talent that becomes the best, but most often it is character applied that makes a person the best. You may not be the smartest, strongest, most eloquent, richest, or whatever adjective you want to use to describe yourself, but you don't have to be to do your best so you can be the best. All you have to do is do your best at what you do, and your best will often make you the best.
Second, the best are often those who simply outlast the best. Some of the most talented people are those who quit when times get tough. My observation throughout life is that those who tend to rise to the top at what they do are those who give their best effort and never quit. My friend, if you will just keep doing what you are supposed to do, you will likely rise to the top. For instance, I don't consider myself the best evangelist; however, I’m amazed at how many people come to me when they want advice on how to be an evangelist. It is not that I’m the best; it is likely that I’ve outlasted the best, and that is what has caused some to want my advice about evangelism. Likewise, you will most likely become the best at what you do if you will keep doing your best and never quit.
Third, the luckiest people are those who ran out of bad luck. It is amazing how “lucky” those who do their best seem to be. It is not that they were lucky, it is simply that they worked through the times when they were not so lucky; this is why they seem to be lucky.“Time and chance” are not what caused them to become successful, but giving their “might” is what brought their success. If you do your best all the time, you will be amazed at how lucky you become.
Christian, God has given you the talents you have. Your talents may not measure up to others, but they don't have to; you just give your best with the talent you have and you will find that God can take your best to make you the best. It’s not talent that ends up the best in life, but it is the character to do your best all the time that often causes one to rise to the top and become “lucky.”