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

Taxing Thoughts

A few years ago, I came across a simplified tax form that was similar to the following:

1. What did you make this year ____________________________
2. Enter amount on line 1. ____________________________
3. Enter amount on line 2, this is the tax you owe _________________

This is how many of us feel each year. But I have said what I will about taxes and you can guess my feelings toward the current tax code. What I really want us to think about today is what we give to God. I am teaching a class concerning how church leadership uses what we contribute in cash or check, yet while I study this topic I am reminded that we are to give so much more to God that what is in our wallets. I categorize what we owe God into three areas:

1) Finances. This is the easiest and most talked about area of our giving. We cannot ignore the simple fact that God's business on earth requires money. It takes a fiscal budget to succeed in evangelism, to be benevolent, and to edify the church.

2) Abilities. We are to use our gifts to minister to each other and to God (1 Pet 4:10). How are we using our talents for God/

3) Time. We are blessed each day with a merciful new morning (Lam 3:22-23). I need to use the opportunities that I have to serve God and to lead others toward Him through Christ (Col 4:5; Eph 5;15-17).

Take the first letter of each of these points (Finances, Ability, Time) and you have FAT. I don't know about you, but I am willing to lose some FAT for the Lord.

Scott