As Christians, we should be the best people in the world.  I am not saying that we should view ourselves as such, concluding that we are better than everyone else.  We should always be mindful of the danger of developing a “holier than thou” mentality.  The reality is, however, we should be the best people in the world as far as our behavior is concerned.  Jesus put it like this:

Matthew 5:13 (ESV)
¹³ “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.

Being the salt of the earth points to having a positive influence on the world because of the kind of lives we live.  What kind of lives should we be living?  Lives that are shaped and formed by the Word of God, which teaches us to imitate Christ.

1 Corinthians 11:1 (ESV)
¹Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.

To be the best you, you must allow Jesus to live in you.  That means that you do what Paul did—imitate Christ.  Notice what the result of Paul imitating Christ was.

Galatians 2:20 (ESV)
²⁰ I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

If we can say with Paul, “…It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me…”, we will be living the best lives we possibly can, and will be among the best people in the world.

The best you is a person who lives with honesty and integrity.

Romans 13:13–14 (KJV 1900)
¹³ Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. ¹⁴ But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

More modern translations say, “Let us walk decently,” something that cannot be done while engaging in immoral activities such as drunkenness and wantonness, or any other behavior that is contrary to the will of God.  Being the best person you can be necessitates living by the moral precepts found in the Bible.

Being the best you demands that you walk in love (Ephesians 5:1).  This determines what kind of person you are because love involves very specific characteristics.  To know what that is, all we have to do is read how love acts in 1 Corinthians 13.

1 Corinthians 13:4–7 (CSB)
⁴ Love is patient, love is kind. Love does not envy, is not boastful, is not arrogant, ⁵ is not rude, is not self-seeking, is not irritable, and does not keep a record of wrongs. ⁶ Love finds no joy in unrighteousness but rejoices in the truth. ⁷ It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

If you can rightfully replace the word “love” in this passage with your name, you are being the best person you can be.

As you wind down for the night, think about these things.