Ah, that's good enough!

A few weeks ago, I asked a young man to mow my lawn after I was ill.  He hurried through the job.  He left areas untouched, the trimming half-done, and sped through the rest. It was ‘mowed,’ but not like I do it, at all.  I take time, not just to get the large areas, but to go right to the edges, to trim around the shrubbery, to edge the drive.  I like it done well.  Imagine if the Creator in  weariness decided that instead of making it all 'very good,' (Genesis 1:31) He would just settle for “good enough!”  God made an amazing universe with excellence.  He made elephants, zebras, and peacocks. He designed the human eye and ear, both of which are engineering marvels.  Yes, for you and for me, He committed Himself to excellence, and gave us a world that is ‘very good.’ God is worthy of our best efforts, not our leftovers!  

In the Old Testament stories, excellence stands out again and again as a trait God commends. 

·         Joseph was not only faithful through the years that he waited for the plans of God to take him from the prison to the palace.  He also worked hard to do his best  in every situation. 

·         Daniel was taken from Jerusalem to serve an oppressor king in Babylonia as a slave.  Did he slack and look for the easy way?  Read the book. Here's how his reputation is summed up:  "Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom." (Daniel 6:3, NIV)

Our Lord Jesus prefers no devotion over half-hearted prayers.  Yes, it’s true. Jesus spoke to the Church in Revelation and said, “I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish you were one or the other! But since you are like lukewarm water, I will spit you out of my mouth!" (Revelation 3:15-16, NLT)

How do you love Jesus Christ?  Are you just content to say, "that's good enough?" or are you ready to do your best?  

Does God get the first and best of your life, or is He relegated to time, energy, and resources that are leftover when you've done the things you want to do?

Consider that, disciple.   Don't be one of those Christians who is content to just get by. 

In the book of Malachi, there is a record of some priests who offered cheap offerings, who used inferior sacrifices. In so doing, they missed both the blessing and intent of true worship.  What was to honor the Lord, offended Him.  God said, "A son honors his father, and a servant respects his master. If I am your father and master, where are the honor and respect I deserve? You have shown contempt for my name! "But you ask, ‘How have we ever shown contempt for your name?’ "You have shown contempt by offering defiled sacrifices on my altar. "Then you ask, ‘How have we defiled the sacrifices?’  "You defile them by saying the altar of the Lord deserves no respect. When you give blind animals as sacrifices, isn’t that wrong? And isn’t it wrong to offer animals that are crippled and diseased?
Try giving gifts like that to your governor, and see how pleased he is!" says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. ...  "How I wish one of you would shut the Temple doors so that these worthless sacrifices could not be offered! I am not pleased with you," says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, "and I will not accept your offerings. But my name is honored by people of other nations from morning till night. All around the world they offer sweet incense and pure offerings in honor of my name. For my name is great among the nations," says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies." (Malachi 1:6-11, NLT)

Are you a Christian whose practice of spiritual disciplines, whose service, is marked by mediocrity? Are you content to do what is ‘good enough?’ Or, do you pursue excellence for the glory of God?

"And whatever you do or say, let it be as a representative of the Lord Jesus, all the while giving thanks through him to God the Father." (Colossians 3:17, NLT)  "Work hard and cheerfully at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and the Master you are serving is Christ." (Colossians 3:23-24, NLT)

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Be Glorified

Your love has captured me!

Your grace has set me free!

Your life the air I breathe!

Be glorified in me.

You set my feet to dancing,

You set my heart on fire.

In the presence of a thousand kings,

You are my one desire.

And I stand before You now,

With trembling hands lifted high,

Be glorified.

Be glorified in me.

Be glorified in me.

Be glorified in me,

Be glorified!

Chris Tomlin | Jesse Reeves | Louie Giglio

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