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Don't Settle For Good Enough!

by Angela Willingham  
5/26/2009 / Christian Living

How many times have we said, "Oh, that's good enough"? Maybe we were talking about some job we were doing or some project. That nail was only half way in but it got a little difficult to get it to go in any further so we stopped and left it hanging half way out and said, "that's' good enough". Not thinking about the fact that if it is not secure whatever we were attempting to put together is not as stable as it could or should be. Have you ever been the recipient of one of these that's good enough jobs? Maybe it was a letter that was written or an article that someone said was good enough but it is full of typos and they left it for you to fix it because they got a little bored. That's good enough does not exemplify the excellence that God wants us to show in the things we do.

I was reading a devotional by Dr. Myles Munroe, taken from his Relationships devotional. It was entitled, "Good versus Best". In it he made it clear that it is possible to do something that is good and that something not be what is right or God's will for you.

I asked myself the question, what is he really saying? I read on and he talked about how Jesus could have settled for feeding the multitude or being a priest in the temple. Those were both good things, but they did not cause Him to reach His ultimate purpose, the thing God created Him to do. He was purposed or sent to be the savior of the world not to feed a bunch of people or preach some earth moving sermons.

I started to think about all the good things that we do. Are those things the things we were purposed to do or just something we got comfortable doing and became distracted from doing what God really intended. Maybe we need some examples right here.

God purposed you to minister to many and you got comfortable teaching your Sunday School Class of 15. (It is just a number I pulled out of the hat, it could be any number it is just not what He purposed.)

Maybe God intended for you to start your own company, but you got stuck thinking you didn't want the responsibility of other people so you settled for working at the company you are at for 30 years and retiring.

Maybe God wanted you to go to school and become a doctor, but you found a good job and it paid the bills, so you stuck with it and never became the doctor or lawyer God intended for you to be.

Maybe it was a relationship, that looked good to you, but you knew in order to have that relationship you were going to have to walk in a place that was not as comfortable for you. The standard of your life would have to be raised to a godly standard, a biblical standard. No more playing Christian. You would have to be a Christian for real and live a life that honored God.

Maybe neither of those is your situation, but I wanted to give us some examples to work with, let God show you where you might be settling for something that seems like it is good enough. Good enough never stretches us to do anything more than we are doing right now, because this is good enough.

I know you have heard the person who says, I am a good person. What that person is really telling you is, I am good enough. I don't want anything more than what I have right now. If that is their choice that is their choice we have to respect it because each person has the right to decide what they will do for themselves. Today I am talking to me and to you. I am challenging us to not settle for good enough but to Philippians 3:14:
14 I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. To anyone that has ever participated in any type of competition you know that everyone does not get the prize. You have to decide that you want it and train for it. You have to stretch and go a little further, do a little more. The awesome thing about our life in Christ is that He has a prize for each one of us if we choose to put for the effort necessary to receive it. We don't even have to compete with anyone else for it. The prize He has for each one of us is for us, but there is a requirement, there are some guidelines that have to be followed. We have to stretch and move outside of our comfort zone to get it. Just good enough will cost you the prize, settling will cost you your purpose. If you are going to go, you might as well go for the gold, why train to get the bronze or silver.

I was thinking how even when we choose to settle, we are in essence saying I give up, I quit, I don't want what God has for me. Because we don't know when God is going to deliver, wouldn't it be crazy to find out that you gave up or quit the race, right before the finish line and to see all that you missed out on? God never allows us to see how much farther we have to go. He never lets us know how many more steps it will take or how many more sacrifices we will have to make to get there. He wants us to trust Him. He wants us to trust that His plan is perfect. He wants us to recognize that He is God and we are not and because of that all we can do is trust Him to complete the good work that He started in us. He wants us to believe Philippians 1:6:
6 And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.

Today, I want to tell you and me, not to quit the race too soon and end up settling for less than God has for us. I want everything that God has for me and I want to do everything He has for me to do. You might say, but it hurts and I will say right now, yes it does, but when He finishes what He started in us it will be all good. Just hold on. Don't settle for less than His complete purpose and will for you. Don't be selfish, completion of your assignment might save the lives of many. There are people waiting for the completion of your race to hear your testimony, to be feed, to be able to hear the Lord more clearly. We don't know why God has us doing the things He has ordained for us to do because He is God and we are not. He sees the end from the beginning, so He knows why He allowed you to go through the struggle you went through. Maybe it is for the salvation of your family, maybe it is for deliverance from financial issues, maybe it is so you will have a greater testimony of His goodness, maybe He is delivering you to a world wide ministry, maybe it is just so you will be able to say thank you to Him for all He has done, maybe He wants to teach you love and forgiveness. Whatever the reason, hang in there, because He knows what He is doing. He knows why He created you just like He knew why Jesus was created. He knows how your story will end, trust Him with it and don't take matters in to your own hands no matter how difficult things get. You might say that is easier said than done and I would agree with you, but you can do it with His help. When you feel like quitting call on Him for His strength and direction. He loves it when we call on Him. He is waiting to come to our aid, to answer our call with love and compassion, but realizing just like any father that we have to go through it to be strengthened and to grow. No matter how difficult it gets don't settle for anything less than what God has for you, whether it is a relationship, career (there may be some layovers, but don't quit, don't give up on the vision), whatever it is in your life, don't settle for less than God's best for you. If Jesus had we would all still be lost. Thank You God.


Scripture Reference:

Philippians 3:14:
14 I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.

Angela Willingham, CEO New Beginnings Holistic Fitness Ministries, Inc.
www.mynewtemple.org
Copyright New Beginnings Holistic Fitness Ministries, Inc.

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