“Just Enough”
Have you ever been to a restaurant where the service is under par and hardly tip worthy or the food was just barely good enough to be considered edible? How often do you go to places of business in the community where they are doing the bare minimum required to fulfill their obligation to the customer?
Unfortunately, many of the things that bother us about other people often tend to be symbolic of ourselves. We might be that employee that isn’t working to our full potential, the student that is studying just hard enough to pass, the parent-friend-spouse-leader-follower….etc that is doing just enough to be considered worthy of the given title.
We also fall prey to this concept in our relationship with Jesus Christ. I understand that people reside in various stages of their relationship with God but I often wonder if a relationship exists at all based on the fruit portrayed by many people. I wonder if people are truly encountering Jesus Christ when they call themselves a Christian or if they are just going through some rituals that are considered “just enough” to get to heaven. I see people figuratively check the box when they go to a church service or toss a few dollars in the offering plate or do a good deed and many times it’s with an attitude of obligation and not admiration. If people are truly seeking and encountering God, doesn’t it seem fitting that they would want to do things in excellence to represent Christ, give until it hurts (joyfully) and serve because they want to and not because they have to? If people are truly encountering God shouldn’t it show in some form or fashion in their lives besides just the words spewing out of their mouths???
Quite frankly I’m sick of Christians that are willing to settle for “just enough” when they are supposed to worship a God that is “more than enough”. I’m sick of churches that are so efficient in their agenda but too busy to invite the Holy Spirit to the party! I’m sick of ministries that are speaking and singing sound Biblical principles but aren’t empowering, training or experiencing those very treasures corporately (or individually). I can’t help but get excited about my relationship with Christ! It’s not a one-time event, it’s a life-long relationship. How can people call themselves a child of God and have no excitement in their voice, actions, worship…etc? It’s time for the body of Christ to step-up and quit doing “just enough” to get by. There are souls that need to be saved and lives that need to be changed and there are many people that “get it” that are sitting on the sidelines selfishly waiting for the rapture I guess. We have been empowered to preach the Gospel to the nations and that includes your own demographic. We don’t need a title, a paycheck, a fancy suit or a Cadillac to tell people about Jesus, to share our testimony or to live in a way that confirms what we are telling people.
Somewhere along the lines many churches and individuals have strayed away from an imperative Biblical concept of discipleship. Let’s bring it back and quit letting the blind lead the blind. We should be discipled and at some point begin discipling others….but neither of them should ever stop!!! We should never stop learning and growing and we should never stop sharing those experiences with others! I ask you to examine yourself. Are you certain of your salvation or are you just going through the motions? If you’re certain, are you doing “just enough” to keep it or are you living it out as you would with any other relationship? Do others see legitimate (non-showy) fruit in your lives? If we take it that extra step and begin to give God our first fruits, we can change our home, our workplaces, our schools, our churches, our communities, our country and other nations as directed!!! Game on!
John 14:15 "If you love Me, you will obey what I command"