I watched a clip of a Ted Talk that popped up on my news feed not long ago. I don’t even remember who the speaker was, but the analogy he shared has stuck with me ever since. He wasn’t talking about spiritual matters, but the analogy convicted me spiritually nevertheless.

He asked everyone in the crowd to raise their hand. Most in the crowd indulged him. Then he asked them to raise them a little higher. As the audience pushed their raised hands a little higher, he asked why they had not raised them as high as possible the first time.

I thought instantly of a verse of Scripture: “Whatever your hand finds to do,do it with all your might (Ecc 9:10) and work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men” (Colossians 3:23). I thought of the scene from the Christian movie Facing the Giants that makes me cry every time—where the coach encourages his athlete to do his very best. As the athlete pushes and accomplishes something, he surprises himself with what was actually possible.

In this season of transition, of getting to come home to a community we consider home, we’ve been talking about what we step back into and what we don’t. What we seek. What we keep doing. What we let go of as part of the last season.

And in light of recent horrific events, one thing keeps coming to the forefront of my mind, convicting me.

It’s possible to behave as a Christian in every aspect of your life—at work, at home, on errands. You can lead a life of gratitude toward the Lord and speak that to those you encounter through your daily activities, all without regular church attendance. You can selectively watch sermons that are theologically robust from the comfort of your home.

But is that your very best?

Is that raising your hand as high as possible for the Lord?

Ecclesiastes 9:10 reminds us, “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might.”

When I think about Charlie Kirk—whether I agree with 100% of what he said or not (newsflash: I agree with most)—I see a man who raised his hand as high as he could as a servant of Christ. A man who encouraged us all to do the same thing.

I’m not ever going to be a peaceful debater like Charlie was. That’s not my place. But I do feel a sense of responsibility to raise my hand as high as possible for the Lord in the way He’s gifted me. Romans 12:1 says, “Offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.”

Jesus willingly came as the sacrifice for my sin, and His hands were raised and nailed to the cross. The very best of humanity for all time died for our sins and rose from the grave.

I owe it to Him to do my very best.

I owe it to Him to raise my hand as high as possible.

Because really—what’s the point in raising your hand if you don’t raise it high?

That can’t be done quietly from my couch.

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