Discipleship Network Forum

“There is always a heavy demand for fresh mediocrity. In every generation the least cultivated taste has the largest appetite.” (Thomas Bailey Aldrich, 1903)

“Life’s like a play: it’s not the length, but the excellence of the acting that matters.” (Seneca, Roman philosopher and writer of tragedies, 4 B.C. – A.D. 65)

If we wish to please God, we must give Him only the very best we have to offer. Work done in His Name should be done industriously and carefully. Considering God our Employer, it is imperative that we produce top quality products. Heaven’s extraordinary standard of excellence demands zero defects.

As believers in Christ, we should not even think of offering leftover time, a tarnished mind, a divided heart, or a dissolute body. God would not accept blind, crippled, diseased, or defective animal sacrifices from the Hebrews; and He is not pleased with second-rate offerings from us.

God must be especially unhappy when we promise our finest effort, then live half-heartedly. We go to great pains to impress earthly supervisors; how much more should we conscientiously serve the King of kings! Here is the freewill offering our Master deserves—our heart in prayer, our voice in song, our hands in helpfulness, our feet in energetic enterprise, our mind in sharp thinking, and our spirit in trusting optimism.

When we stand before our King, all we have done for His great cause will be worth it. He will reward us with far more than a paycheck—His smile will light up our face for eternity.

“If you bring a peace offering to the Lord from the herd or flock, whether to fulfill a vow or as a freewill offering, you must offer an animal that has no physical defects of any kind.” (Leviticus 22:21 NLT)

Johnny R. Almond

Author, Gentle Whispers from Eternity

[This devotion based on Day 71 of Gentle Whispers]

Interim Pastor, Nomini Baptist Church; Montross, Virginia

Blog http://GentleWhispersFromEternity-ScripturePersonalized.com/

Lately I’ve been amazed by how many people seem content to settle for an ordinary life. A line from a popular Switchfoot song has been echoing in my head: “We were made to live for so much more…have we lost ourselves?”

This widespread acceptance of mediocrity is especially sad in light of the fact that it takes so very little to be above average…to be extra-ordinary.

Jesus pointed this out when He said, “Whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two” (Matthew 5:41). You see, it was common for Roman soldiers to force people to carry their gear for a mile. But Jesus said His followers should do even MORE than what was expected of them—not the bare minimum.

Are you that kind of person, seeking to be extra-ordinary in every situation and relationship? Or do you only do what is required of you—what you must do to “get by”?

-          It’s ordinary to get to work on time…but extra-ordinary to arrive a little early and leave a little late.

-          It’s ordinary to meet your deadlines…but extra-ordinary to beat your deadlines.

-          It’s ordinary to try to fulfill people’s expectations…but extra-ordinary to do more than they expect.

-          It’s ordinary to treat people like they treat you…but extra-ordinary to treat others better than they’ve treated you (Matthew 5:46-47, 7:12).

How does this principle apply to YOU? Have you settled for ordinary, when extra-ordinary is so clearly within your reach? Or perhaps you haven’t even been going the “first mile,” let alone the second.

If we’ve truly given our heart to Christ, living an ordinary life in inexcusable. After all, He now lives in us through the power of His Spirit (Romans 8:11, Galatians 2:20, Colossians 1:27). From start to finish, the Christian life is meant to be a SUPERNATURAL life. So how could we ever allow it to become merely ordinary, no different from those who have no relationship at all with the Lord?

Another fascinating component of this is found in Acts 19:11: “God did extraordinary miracles through Paul.” I don’t know many American believers today who are performing even ordinary miracles, do you? Yet this verse says the miracles done through Paul were extra-ordinary—above and beyond the fruit of the Spirit and the supernatural manifestations expected of average followers of Jesus (e.g., Galatians 5:22-23, Mark 16:17-18, 1 Corinthians 12).

Maybe you think I’m being rather harsh, setting the standard too high. But if we sincerely compare our present lives to the extra-ordinary Christian life depicted in Scripture, won’t we conclude that the opposite is true? Haven’t we been guilty of lowering the bar instead of setting our sights too high?

Instead of blaming me for bringing up this uncomfortable issue, I encourage you to spend some time asking God how it applies to you. Are there a few simple changes that would take your life from ordinary to extra-ordinary?