Good Enough

I read a recent article by Rick Warren entitled "Why 'Good Enough' is Good Enough". It got me thinking about how serving is viewed in the Church. I agree with Rick's assertion that the local church can become performance based which can lead to a church that is immersed in entertaining its members and visitors.

In my estimation, there must be a balance between the truth found in Ecclesiastes 11:4 - If you wait for perfect conditions, you will never get anything done. (NLT) - and excellence. If we err on the side of excellence, the local church can be frozen in fear and shackled by the expectation of perfection. If we err on the other side of the spectrum, we can lose the excellence that God calls us to strive for in Colossians 3:23 - Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men (NIV).

For the Church, it comes down to this: we must demand the very best from ourselves. It's really that simple. Too many are serving half-heartedly with the comment, "Well, that's good enough."

In the context of sports, athletes use the phrase, "Don't leave anything on the field." Scripture uses athletics as an analogy for our life with Christ often for a reason. We can identify with athletics, but the principles in athletics are similar to our relationship with God. You and I need to make sure we haven't left anything on the field. We're called to particular ministries and we're called to give our very best effort.

Our salvation isn't performance-based, and it's not about measuring ourselves against one another. Our relationship with Christ simply calls us to take what we've been given and use it for the glory of God. We all must be satisfied with the best others offer. God is. Why shouldn't we be?