As Workers for God, Do your Best is our theme for the year.  The theme went through some interesting iterations.  When we first announced the theme “Do your Best,” several students responded that the theme seemed trite to them.  They had been hearing it since elementary school, and it really lacked punch.  Do your best could well be read to mean, “I know you can’t do very well and you will probably won’t, but just do your best.”  Instead of being a motto for excellence, the theme could be interpreted as an excuse for mediocrity.  The thrust of the passage, however, is strong.  Strive, concentrate, make every effort, be diligent, try hard are some of the translations of this familiar passage from 2 Timothy 2:15.  So we had to modify the theme.  “Do your best to present yourself to God as a worker,” was a bit awkward, but made the important point that the reason to do your best is because you are working for God.  “As God’s Worker: Do your Best.”  There it is.  How can we do less than our very best for God?  God demands our concentrated-striving-make-every-effort-diligent-try-hard-very best.  A pat-on-the-head-there-there-just-do-your best just won’t do.  God is not our kindergarten teacher.  He is our Lord.  We must all do our best for him. (Scripture references are from the New International Version.)

Dr. Richard Beam
Academic Dean