Giving our Best

How good is good enough? You know why I ask such a question. Many people in and outside of Christianity compare themselves with others using the "I'm as nice, moral, good, etc. as the next person" statement. Again, how good is good enough? Is 80% good, good enough? Is 90% good, good enough? What about 99.9%?

Most of us would agree that 99.9% is really good. But consider the following statistics. If 99.9% is good enough then:
1. The IRS could lose 2,000,000 documents and that would be alright.
2. 22,000 checks could be deducted from the wrong account each hour.
3. 30 passenger planes crashing each day in the US would be acceptable.

I don't know about you, but I am not satisfied with those figures. I wonder then if God is satisfied with 99.9% from us? The simple truth is 99.9% is not enough for God, unless I have an arbitrator (Job 9:33).

Paul tells us about an Arbitrator that is available for us. After describing his own inability to be 100% he writes in anguish, "Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?" He immediately answers his own agony, "Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin." (Rom 7:24-25, ESV).

We still should strive to "Walk in the light" (1 Jn 1:7-9). We should do our best to live a life "worthy" of our "calling" (Eph 4:1). but walk knowing that if we are doing the best we can while covered by the blood of Christ, our short-comings are wiped away. "Thanks be to God!"

Scott