Good Enough?

There is a character on television whose favorite phrase was “I’m good enough”.  A week ago, my wife and I watched the challenging and inspiring movie “Courageous”.  In that movie, the main character questioned his ability as a father.  His questioning was centered on the phrase “good enough”.  He determined the good enough was not good enough and resolved to spend more time in the Scriptures to really grasp what was expected of him.  What he discovered was that the expectations of the Scriptures set for him as a father, husband, and friend were more than he actually knew and practiced.  As the phrase “good enough” bounced around within the intricate walls of my mind, I reflected on the words of Jesus to the Pharisees when they questioned His knowledge of the law, specifically a question asked by a lawyer.  What is the greatest commandment of the law?  The question was given to the one who established the law to His creation.  The answer given was two-fold.  Upon that two-fold answer rest every expectation God has of us.  And He said to him, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’  This is the great and foremost commandment.  The second is like it, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ (Matthew 22:37-39).  Did you know the 10 commandments focuses on our relationship with God and others?  Here Jesus in 2 simple sentences profoundly explained the true meaning of all the laws of the Old Testament.  The laws established were to help define our relationship with God and our relationship with others.  Are we good enough or have we fallen short of the expectation that Jesus has established in the single greatest law originally quoted in Deuteronomy 6:5.  A commandment in which God explicitly commands in Deuteronomy 6:6, “These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart.”  Are we good enough?  Our unfortunate generation has lost the emphasis of striving for the best.  Now they are taught to just be good enough.  They no longer want the struggles, the efforts, and the work of being the best; they are content with being good enough.  Just sliding by on minimal merits and hoping that they can get the best. In the Christian life, to be content on being a good enough Christian misses the mark of Jesus teaching concerning our relationship with God.  In doing so, we also miss the mark on God’s commandment to us in Deuteronomy 6:5.  Many people in our churches today only allow the first part of the commandment to take root but seemingly ignore or unwillingly take into account the second portion which holds an equal significant importance of the our relationship with God.  Love Him with “ALL your heart, and ALL your soul, and ALL your mind”.  According to Christ, it is not enough to just love God, we must love Him with our entire being.  He is to be the focus of our heart, our soul, and our mind.  Ask yourself this question: How far would you go for God?  Now consider this question: How far did God go for you?  In answering the second question, we should be able to find the motivation and the reason necessary to love God with ALL of us.  Not just portions, but ALL.  One of the characteristics of love as defined in I Corinthians 13 is that love does not seek its own.  To love God with all of our heart, soul, and mind is to leave no room for self.  Our self is and should be a total and complete and undivided devotion to God.  This same being who left the comfort of His throne and allowed Himself to be born in a feeding trough, then suffered, bled, and died upon a tree in which He planted at the hands of men He created deserves our total devotion, service, and life.  He has every right to command and to expect it for the very thing He has done for us.  Too often when searching Scriptures, we search looking for our own twist and meanings, but yet it disrupts the original intent of what God intended.  Are you good enough?  Or do you truly find yourself heeding the greatest commandment as spoken by Christ.  Love the Lord your God……….. WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.