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Lifesigns is a quaterly magazine that RLM Media, Resurrection Life and ReVibe Media publish. Each issue has a topic and seeks to bring life to those who read it. For more information call us at 601-798-4511 or email us at [email protected]
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04 THE PERFECT GIFTSo, what gives me the right to have that philosophy?
06 THE SATISFACTION OF BEING SECONDI came into the world second.
12 Ever PressingOur faith is not so we can receive what we need from God.
14 I’M NOT LISTENINGI have been and still am afraid.Afraid to look like a fool. Afraid to disappoint.
16 WHEN GOOD IS NOT GOOD ENOUGHWho is the final judge of “when is good not good enough?”
26 Addicted to MediocrityWhat’s the big deal with excellence? Why waste time and money on something when mediocre will do?
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articles04 The Perfect Gift
So, what gives me the right to have that philosophy with my work or with someone else? I should have the desire...
06 The Satisfaction of Being SecondI came into the world second. My older sister had already secured the starring role in the family. I felt no pressure to rise and shine over...
08 The Zingabingding LifeI want to live a Zingabingding life. In fact, I am more determined now than ever before to.
10 Taking Good to ExcellentHer good works were performed, not for personal gain, but as the embodiment of her...
12 Ever PressingOur faith is not so we can receive what we need from God. Our faith is in trusting God for what...
more articles14 I’m Not Listening
I have been and still am afraid.Afraid to look like a fool. Afraid to disappoint. Afraid to possibly succeed by a desperately thin line...
05advertisments
Bayou Metal
16 When Good is Not Good EnoughMy thoughts now begin to go deeper! Who is the final judge of “when is good not good enough?”
26 American Homes and Where We LiveHow far do you live from work, church, family, and etc? Where do we live: cities, surburia, the farm, or somewhere else?
09 Moore Chiropractic
11 Edward Jones
17 Antlers & WingsHighland Hospital
19 Valente Real EstateMichael’s Restaurant
21 Walkers CollisonBlairs Cycle
27 Sears Hometown
28 Circle Maker &Week of Prayer
CONTENTS
3LIFEsignsm a g a z i n e
Editor in Chief: Todd Goodwin
Editors: Kat DufreneGrace BoothDoug Booth
Graphics, Layout & Design: Todd Goodwin
Kat Dufrene
Sales & Advertising: Dawn Bechtel
Contributors: Billy Martin
Grace BoothDanny Jones
Mary Beth MageeDr. Dan FinleyKat Dufrene
Sandy LemoineTodd Goodwin
Barna.org
Model on cover and in articleMollie Scordill
PhotographyTodd Goodwin
Published by
LifeSigns is published quarterly. You may use articles or portions of articles up to no more than 50 lines without permission. Anything more you must have written permission. Entire contents © 2015 by RLM Media, Revibe Media & Resurrection Life Church unless otherwise noted on specific articles. All rights reserved. Copyright © 2015 LifeSigns Magazine | LIFESIGNS MAGAZINE 795 Memorial Blvd Picayune, MS 39466 * 601.798.4511 [email protected] rlministry.org/lifesignsmag.html
With this issue of Lifesigns Magazine we are now 8 years old. October 2007 was our first issue. The topic was Lifegroups: the very heartbeat of Resurrection Life. It was the best we could do with what we had at the time. However over the years things have changed and gotten much better. We have come a long way and we have a long way to go. We are excited about what the future holds for the magazine and the platform we have to share truth and hope to the world around us.
Over the years our reader base has grown tremendously. We now serve approximately 6000-7000 readers with each issue. That includes our online editions as well which can be found at rlministry.org/media/lifesigns.html. Our loyal readers take each issue to just about anywhere there is a waiting room where people can sit and read. They have been found in doctors’ offices, law offices, hospitals, gyms, and stores in Mississippi and Louisiana.
We are growing and are excited about some of the things we have planned for the future. For next year we will have our own website where you can view the latest issue along with back issues, and business owners will be able to fill out their information to advertise with us and pay online as well. The online edition will have things we can’t do in print: videos, downloadable content, relevant web links and audio content. We are even looking at doing our own app. Why all this for a magazine? Because we believe in giving our very best, and because good enough is not good enough if it’s not our very best.
In this issue of Lifesigns we hope you will be encouraged and challenged with the different articles about living life with excellence. The South has far too long be considered backwards and behind the times. It is time for the church of Jesus Christ to rise up and give the world around us our very best and let them see how good and loving our God is. And just maybe we will work so hard that, when it’s all over, we will all die empty because we gave all He gave us away to our world.
Not Good Enoughif it’s not our best
Editor in ChiefLifesigns Magazine
Talk to us give us some feedback
Lifesigns Magazine795 Memorial Blvd
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There are times when you really do not wish to hear the term “good enough”. For instance: when someone is working on or building your house, when someone is
working on your car, when the doctor is working on your body…
You get the point.
So, what gives me the right to have that philosophy with my work or with someone else? I should have the desire in me to try and do all things like I was doing it unto the
Lord. That does not mean that I am perfect but that I am trying to do all things well, that I am trying to help others or working hard, not trying to just get by or make things
easy for me.
I am not perfect, but with the Lord’s help I am working on it.
“We are imperfect people, given a Perfect Gift, trying to help people get out of their own way and receive that
Perfect Gift.”
PERFECTGIFT
The
By Billy Martin
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Everyone touts the glories of being first, of conquering opposing teams and huge obstacles in life, but something’s to be said about the
comfort of second place. Once a second position is procured, the relief can be palpable, stress lessened. It’s like easing into an old leather chair that’s already been broken down, not that pretty but soft and comfy. Striving becomes a thing of the past
replaced by a carefree life. What’s so bad about that?
I came into the world second. My older sister had already secured the starring role in the family. I felt no pressure to rise and shine over her amazing accomplishments. She succeeded at everything and seemed to be number one in everyone’s eyes. She aced academics, being promoted beyond
her grade at an early age. She remained ahead of her peers and kept a superior stride throughout her life.
On the other hand, I, also promoted beyond my grade, discovered that being second was easier. I felt relief when the Florida school system, where our family had relocated, reversed the decision from our California school. Florida’s educational
SATISFACTIONThe
Grace G. Booth
“I merely wanted to get by and get finished so I
could begin teaching.”
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system did not approve of me, a six-year-old, skipping first grade! I slipped easily back into the classroom with children my own age and coasted. School offered no challenges and I liked it that way. I was there to play and make friends.
When my report cards came, nice comments appeared handwritten by my teachers. “Grace is a good student. She has a lot of potential.” I never remember my parents commenting on the “potential” part. I never remember them demanding that I come up to my aptitude. So, I didn’t. No stress, no strain. I maintained my “not coming up to potential” position and stuck with it. Sure, I made the honor roll, but not every time! Yes, I won an occasional award in various subjects, but never due to striving. I discovered that if you hit your targeted area of giftedness, that brought about enough praise to suffice. Parents and schoolteachers allowed the upward advancement to slide by.
After a first year’s attempt to glide through the rigors of college at the University of New Orleans, I discovered, once again, I could pass without doing the required work. I remember my counselor saying, “You did well for a freshman. Most of our high schoolers drop out or fail their first semester here.” That was fine with me. I was acknowledged as “good enough.” I made it through the introductory subjects just fine. When I encountered the harder subjects, I soon found myself slipping into an unacceptable GPA. I knew something had to change.
Perhaps I would have to do the required homework and actually study hard?
A professor from UNO’s College of Education knew me from church. One day he pinpointed me. He said, “Grace, you should be graduating from UNO with honors.” His words surprised me. I had never considered striving for honors at college. I merely wanted to get by and get finished so I could begin teaching. His words stung, but they opened my eyes, too. He believed in me. I determined to make his prediction come true. I began in earnest working at my courses and requested “Scholastic Amnesty” to remove my old GPA. I was now in search of one that would shoo me into graduate school.
Although I had to repeat some of the same courses in order to pull up those grades left in the doldrums, I did it. I had made up my mind to succeed and to see where I could go with serious study. Several semesters later, honor societies knocked on my door. I joined one, then another, and finally was accepted into Phi Kappa Phi, the honor society that opened its doors to students with an overall grade point average that was 3.5 or above in all disciplines at the university. When I showed my professor in Early Education the little book I had written and published, he said, “Hey, this is what our students in our masters’ program do.” I wondered why I did not ask for some sort of credit towards that goal since I had already done the work. But, I was still an undergraduate and not
ready for that sort of confrontation.
All of my years of easy approach to life had to be discarded along with my old grades in order to seek and achieve a notable position. I remember walking down the aisle at graduation, proud of the asterisk beside my name which indicated that I was an honors’ grad. No one seemed to pay much attention to it but, for me, it was a major shift from a lackluster approach to one of buckling down to gain as much as I could from my studies. It didn’t matter that no one asked what my GPA was in college. I had proved to myself and to that professor who had confidence in me that I could attain a position worthy of the gift God had given me.
Scriptures like, “To whom much is given, much is required.” (Luke 12:48) convicted me. I posted that scripture on my desk to remind myself that my work must reflect the ability God had granted me. God required that I accomplish what I could using those gifts to reflect His glory. He had had confidence in me all along. It was I who needed to become aware of my own need to leave the mediocre and reach for the measure of success, to shine His light along the way for others to see. I turned down the offer to be published in the “Who’s Who in Universities”, thinking it was just a money making scam for books to be published and purchased, but I knew that the Lord had spotlighted my life and, in His eyes, I was a “Who’s Who”. I was His— the Master of the Universe— and He had seen fit to advance me and show me the way to please Him.
SECONDBEINGof
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I want to live a Zingabingding life. In fact, I am more determined now than ever before to. I don’t want to be alone either. I want you to live a Zingabingding life too. If you were to rummage through my old personal journals you’d find the word, “Zingabingding” frequently. I always knew when someone would go through my belongings because the word would come up in conversation. My friends would admit that they had anxiously attempted to find its definition but could not. The reason is simple: “Zingabingding” is my word. It’s the brainchild of a chubby seven-year-old with bifocals and a head so large he looked like a breathing bobble-head doll. But the word stuck. And, in many ways, it has helped mold my life. I have your interest now, don’t I?“Zingabingding” is not found in any dictionary, but the words “zing”, “bing”, and “ding” are. Webster’s defines “zing” as energy, enthusiasm, and liveliness. “Bing” is defined as an indication of a sudden action or event. “Ding” is, of course, a ringing sound. When the words are put together, it simply means “an action/event that brings energy, enthusiasm, and liveliness.” I want my life to do just that. I hope you do too.Lately, I have listened closely to the words that come from my mouth. Proverbs 18:21 says, “The tongue can bring death or life.” Psalms 141:3 says, “Set a guard over my mouth, LORD; keep watch over the door of my lips.” The Bible is full of warnings about the words that come from our lips. They are warnings that remind us that
both good and bad can come from our tongue. Have you ever had a bad day where nothing seems to go right? In those moments, a word of encouragement can turn your day around. You can quickly put aside the bad and rest comfortably in the affirmation you’ve received. On the other side of the coin, you could be having a great day and one person’s negativity could make it come to a screeching halt. Negativity is all around us. The news preaches it as gospel and a 2-minute scroll down your Facebook timeline can send you into a depression. You can find negativity at Wal-Mart, at work, at school, and, yes, even at church. But, what if we made a decision to go the opposite direction? What if we decided that we’d live a Zingabingding life— a life that brings enthusiasm to the world, a life that brings liveliness to each person we encounter? What if we became the type of person that people wanted to be around because we chose not to focus on the negative?When our eyes are focused on the negative, they are indisputably not focused on God. One of the more interesting stories we find in the Bible is in Mark 8 when Jesus is telling His disciples about the suffering that awaits Him. Peter does not like what he’s hearing and rebukes Jesus. Jesus tells Peter, “Get behind me Satan!” There are many theological opinions on why Jesus said this to Peter. However, one thing is for certain: Jesus was upset
that Peter was trying, albeit with good intentions, to discourage the plan of God. In other words, Peter was blocking the flow of the Kingdom. I think about how many times I’ve blocked the flow of God in my life and the life of others. In those times, I chose to focus on the negative instead of the will of the Father. There have been many occasions where I could have been a beacon of light to someone but, instead, I displayed darkness. For me, a Zingabingding life does the opposite. A
Zingabingding life is a life that allows Christ to shine in every situation. Where, through the power of Jesus, we can overcome any and everything that stands in our way. A Zingabingding life
is a life where good is not good enough, a life where greatness is the goal because we serve a great God. So, yes, the word is silly and childish, but the heart behind it is a life that God intended— for me and you to be moment makers, to view each moment as a gift that we can share the love of God with someone. As I finish writing this article, I am looking for a moment to let God shine. In a world full of death and despair, I am reverting back to the 7-year-old kid who believes he can change the world. I can change a person’s day by offering hope. I can change a person’s mind by my enthusiasm for life. I can and I will live a Zingabingding existence. I hope you do too.
ZINGABINGDING
WANT TOI
LIVE A
LIFEBy Danny Jones
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“This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.” (Titus 3:8 NIV)
How do we know when “good” is good enough? Paul exhorted Titus to remind the people to whom he ministered to do good works (the King James Version describes the process as being careful to maintain good works). How could they know if they were doing enough good works or even good enough works?Take a look at the lesson Jesus shared when He answered the scribe’s question regarding the first commandment in Mark 12:28-34. He and the scribe agreed that caring for and loving each other showed a greater devotion to obeying God’s word than any number of burnt offerings. From the Son’s own words we learn the secret: good works demonstrate love beyond mere monetary concerns.
The world runs on love. For some, the object of love is money, power, or prestige. For others, one or more persons command their affection. When it comes to spiritual excellence, the object of our love is God, and our good works should reflect that love.
Perhaps the greatest example of a life of good works in our times comes from the late Mother Teresa. She taught that “Intense love does not measure; it just gives.” Through her life and teachings she left a legacy which continues nearly twenty years after her death. Her good works were performed, not for personal gain, but as the embodiment of her love for God. Such an example calls us all to recognize the need to act out of love.
The book of James addresses the question of faith versus works, and assures us of the need for both. Our works, our good deeds, rise out of our faith and we serve others through love for God. Through our love for Him we elevate our “good” works to excellence, not by our own abilities but by the magnifying power of the God we serve.
“Good” becomes “good enough” and more when we bring our actions to the throne as an offering of our love rather than as a self-aggrandizing act. Look to your heart. What are your motives? No matter what you show to the world, God sees your heart. Do it for His glory, not your own, and you are on the way to your good works becoming excellent works.
GOODMary Beth Magee
EXCELLENT
taking
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EVER PRESSING
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THE Apostle Peter writes about all believers having promises
that enable us to share in and have the nature of God (2 Peter 1:4). The first word in his list of instructions is “virtue” (1:5). One translation of this word is “moral excellence”. This is the highest form of goodness, the very goodness of God’s nature in us.The Apostle Paul in his letter to the Philippians writes about this same kind of excellence. He is ever pressing toward the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus (3:14). “Pressing” means to put in rapid motion; to pursue; to follow eagerly; to endeavor earnestly to acquire. Paul’s one single goal was to come to a greater and greater measure of resurrection life (4:11). According to Paul, we are all supposed to strive for nothing less than full-blown Christ-likeness in ourselves and each other (Ephesians 4:13). We are not only supposed to strive for this perfection but also fully expect to succeed because we are predestined to be fully conformed to the image of Jesus (Romans 8:29). The Father has made our success sure in Christ. Our part starts with being sure so our “pressing” is never anxious and always in the assurance of faith. This is the “good” and the “purpose” verse 28 is talking about. God promises to work all things out in our lives to further us in this one purpose of becoming more like Jesus. The greatest problem in the church today is lack of growth. Every problem we can have is either caused by our not growing or fixed by our growth. The enemy’s one goal is to distract us from this focused pursuit. Regardless of the different kinds
of attacks, his first purpose is to turn us aside from this “pressing”. Satan knows that, if we keep our face set toward Christ, he will eventually have to face Christ in us (2 Corinthians 3:18). This is his worst nightmare. Resurrection life in us makes him relive the resurrection of Jesus all over again. The purpose of our faith now becomes clear. We use it to remain singularly focused on the pursuit of this “high call”. Our faith is not so we can receive what we need from God. Our faith is in trusting God for what we need so we can pursue His kingdom in us (Matthew 6:33). Satan will keep us distracted by one attack after another. Even though we may “faith” our way through these assaults he will have succeeded in turning our attention away from our single and most urgent need. Regretfully, very few Christians have this vision of pursuing and attaining this excellence. This true change of nature is beyond the reach of our best and most sincere effort. It requires our resting confidence in the supernatural working of the Spirit of Christ in us. Our flesh is absolutely broken from all of its effort when the perfection of Christ is the goal. This frustration of our flesh causes one of two reactions. Some Christians deny the power of actually having the divine nature (2 Timothy 3:5). Instead of true transformation, they substitute their sincere effort in maintaining an outward form, an appearance, of godliness by fighting their carnal nature. They do their best to contain and restrain their self-nature by acting godly. This is a constant act of their will power (Colossians 2:20-23). This reduces the “too” high call
down to the abilities of the flesh. Christ-likeness then is something to constantly desire but never really attain. They will “be ever learning, and never able to come to the (experiential) knowledge of truth.”There is a second way believers avoid facing the absolute helplessness of the flesh to contribute in the pursuit of Christ-likeness: they see their faith as all about being blessed. They see the success of their faith as being a sure sign of their being close to God (Revelation 3:17). Their faith is effective but self-serving. They know how to walk in blessings and authority while lacking any true intimacy with Jesus (Matthew 7:22).Christianity is really not about what God has done or wants to do for us. Rather, it is about what the Father wants to do for Jesus. Our whole confidence is in the commitment God made to Jesus when He raised Him from the dead. The Father told our resurrected Lord to remain seated on the throne while He stewards Jesus’ victory. Now where is the first and most important place God wants to keep His commitment to Christ? He wants to make what Jesus did effective in us. The Father will not fail Christ in us. He has already made our success sure. Our job is to cease striving, enter into a restful assurance, and aim at the excellence of Christ in us. Yes! There is much to do but our works are never anxious about the outcome. He is the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). We can be absolutely confident that the Father will see to it we finish our course in victory (Philippians 1:6).
OUR FAITH IS NOT SO WE CAN RECEIVE WHAT WE NEED
FROM GOD. Our faith is in trusting God for what we need so we can pursue His kingdom in us
By Dr. Dan Finley
14I have been and still am afraid.
Afraid to look like a fool. Afraid to disappoint. Afraid to possibly succeed by a desperately thin line and more expectation will be placed upon me that I just cannot meet. Afraid that my limitations will prove that it is not my work that is not good enough, but it is I that am not good enough. Afraid to lose worth because others don’t want to partner with someone who isn’t good enough.
I am afraid to fail, to be identified with that failure, and to eventually become a failure.
So… I ask myself not how excellently I can do a thing… but if I should even try at all.
Those words— that glimpse of raw truth— have been my words, my thoughts. The fear of failure’s voice has been so loud in my life, so persuasive, that dozens of times over I have listened to it and lost sight of who I am and what I have inside of me. In those moments, my identity was found in the comparison of others and the competition with others rather than in being the conduit I am for the giftings and abilities I possess to flow out of me.
When faced with the opportunities to meet a task with excellence, there will also be the opportunity for the fear of failure to voice its own opinion about it. And fear surely is no respecter of persons. It doesn’t care who you are, what you do, or how much experience you have; if it can dissuade you from pursuing excellence in everything you do, then it can fulfill its purpose of existence. When we listen to that voice, there are many trips and falls to accompany the direction it gives. Just a few to mention, like the shifting of our identity, consist of: comparing ourselves and our abilities to others, self-rejection, hesitation and second-guessing, hiding, having an attitude of defeat, faux humility, and more.
The problem on the larger scale that we face when we give in to the fear of failure is that we focus heavily on our limitations and what we can accomplish in our own strength. If the success or failure of my life was based solely upon my limitations, I would not be in the position that I have been given nor would I be doing the work that I do. My
position, the
demands and requirements of it, as well as what I have accomplished, far exceed my limitations— which makes no sense in the natural. Because of the level of abilities and skills I do possess, I should only be able to produce below average to average work.
So that begs to question how many of us can achieve excellence when our limitations should only deliver “good” results. First, we have to silence the voice of the fear of failure. It would emphasize our weaknesses and blind us to our strengths. Second, we have been given tools to employ. We have to acknowledge that fear focuses on the appearance and state of our skill set (tools) rather than challenge
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15us with the fact that we have tools to put to work. They may not look or operate like the next person’s, but the encouraging truth is that they are ours. We each have been equipped for specific tasks in our lives. Many times, when we look into that metaphorical tool box, we only see a few of the tools
needed to complete our tasks. But that’s where this “makes no
sense in the natural” comes into play. You know you
have limitations— not the right amount of tools to
work with— so where does that leave
you? It leaves you unable to do it in your own strength.
2 Corinthians 4:7 says this: “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the
excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.” As a believer and follower of Jesus Christ, there is a treasure of excellence and power within me because I believe His Spirit lives within me (I am the earthen vessel.). When my own skill set is lacking, I can call upon His Spirit and tap into His tools, which He says are available to me. For instance, if your dad was anything like my dad, if you needed something basic like a hammer or something more unique like a 39/64” drill bit, all you had to do was ask and he would present it to you from his toolbox for you to use. Because you are his child and there is something you are lacking, he provides what is necessary for you to complete the job well. See, we don’t have to fear failure, because the Creator of the Universe, our Father, the One who knows us and calls us by name, also is the unending source of everything we need to succeed. ‘It is not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit,’
says the Lord. (Zechariah 4:6) He knows our limitations. He knows our shortcomings. He knows what we lack. And He knows that, without Him, we don’t have the strength to conquer every challenge that comes our way. That is why He offers us Himself, His power, His authority, His excellence, His strength— so that we can give everything of ourselves and more to the tasks set before us, and when they are conquered and completed He gets the recognition and glory.
When we turn our focus from ourselves, and look at who Jesus Christ is and who He is in us, then the fear of failure loses its strength. It cannot compete with the perfection and endless power of God. Its voice cannot stand up to His. Then, because our hearts and minds are focused on what He can do through us, and not just what we can do alone, we are able to surpass the measurement of “that’s good enough” and far exceed the mark of expectation. What could have been seemingly unattainable becomes supernaturally
possible… to the point where failure isn’t even an option.
I am not afraid anymore.
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When faced with the question “When is good not good enough?” my immediate thought was, “When we do not give our best.” Giving my all… giving… 100% may not be as good as your best. But if I give all I can, what more could anyone ask? From a personal standpoint, I have rushed through a task only to realize at the end that I did not give it my full attention. I have finished a project, not happy with the outcome, and realized I did not put my whole heart or 100% of my ability into it. That is when I think, as would anyone in the same situation, “This is not good enough.” And the realization of why it is not makes me unhappy with myself.
Wondering what I would find in God’s Word concerning this question, I turned to the scriptures and found several interesting readings. Psalm 34:14 says, “Depart from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.” And in chapter 37, verse 3 of that same book: ”Trust in the Lord and do good; so shall thou dwell in the land and verily thou shalt be fed.”
“What does Jesus say?” I wonder, turning to the New Covenant. And
in Luke 6:35, as He is speaking to the multitudes crowded around Him, He says, “Love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High.” I read on! Hebrews 13:16: “But to do good and to communicate, forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.” And finally (not that there is not more to read about this subject), in James 4:17 it reads, “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.” Wow!!
My thoughts now begin to go deeper! Who is the final judge of “when is good not good enough?” Believing that within my natural, physical self, good is good enough when I have done my best, given my all, given 100%, I then must leave it to the only True One who can know my heart, and that is God. I can pray and ask that, through His Holy Spirit, He would reveal to me what more I can do. He is the One who can give me strength and wisdom.
In the parable of the talents (found in Matthew 25:14–28) a man gave his servants talents. Two of the servants doubled their talents but one did not. He
GOODWhen
not
GOODEnough?
by Sandy Lemoine
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actually hid the one talent he was given. There are several messages in this parable, but what I am seeing here, in regards to when is good not good enough, is the difference between two servants who were diligent and gave their best and one who obviously did not.
Both in the natural and in the spiritual, gifts differ. If we put energy into something and the outcome is not what we expected, then our good was not good enough. But maybe it is simply because that is not our particular gifting. I do believe most of us can study and learn to do something that is a desire and interest to us, but, even giving our best, it may not be good enough to win the coveted award or prize over someone else who is gifted in that area. In Romans 12:6, Paul, in talking about the many members in the body of Christ, speaks of us having different gifts. He goes on to admonish us in verse 10, “to be kind to one another, showing brotherly love, honoring and preferring one another as we serve the Lord.” As an example: I may be
able to teach a class. I know God’s Word, but good would not be good enough if I did not do my best. Hopefully, I would study and prepare, and the class would be blessed. However, even at my best, another person who is gifted and called to teach would be better overall but they may not be able to sit down and play the piano like I did recently with a ministry group at a local nursing home. I did well and, maybe no one noticed, but on this particular day I left feeling my good was not good enough. Why? Well I must confess… I had not practiced and prepared as much as I could and should have. Maybe only God and I knew that, but the feeling that I could have done better will have me giving my best next time around.
When all is said and done— when I have “studied to show myself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (II Timothy 2:15)— then I can proclaim, ”I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13)
Continued from page 16
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It’s a house on wheel. No, that’s not a misspelled word. I mean wheel, not wheels. My
dad had an idea about a gyro house.
This was a house
or living quarters that was fixed and motionless and encased in a cage, while the outside of the “round ball”-like vehicle was propelled down the road using centrifugal force. My father, “Pops” as I used to call him, was full of ideas and dreams. He always had a plan as to how they could be accomplished. He wasn’t able to see all his dreams come to pass but it was not because he didn’t try.
Once, when my oldest daughter was very young, my dad had an idea that he wanted to carve her a horse glider from scratch, meaning
he would take a large block of wood, get carving tools, and begin carving out a horse. I remember looking at him and saying, “Pops, you have never hand-carved anything in your life! How are you going to do this?” He replied, “Don’t you worry about it.” I looked at him and said, “Well, okay then.” And that was the end of the conversation. Over the next several months I would go see my dad at his office and would find him reading books about wood carving and wood sculpturing. Three months into this project: no horse glider, no large chunk of wood, no wood
ADDICTED TO MEDIOCRITY
WRITTEN BYTODD GOODWIN
“It’s not hard to make a decision when you know what your values are.”Roy Disney
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shaving on the floor, nothing! He was just reading, book after book. After about four months I gave up on the idea that he would do this endeavor. I eventually forgot about the horse glider until Christmas of that year.
On Christmas morning, my wife, daughter, and I got up early and took off for my parents’ house to celebrate Christmas and open gifts with the rest of the family. When I opened the door, what a surprise I had. Beside the Christmas tree was a hand-carved, customized 4’ x 5’ horse glider with handmade bridle, saddle, and stirrups. The only thing that wasn’t handmade was the horse’s mane. Later my dad said he had to settle for synthetic hair because the real horse hair would not arrive in time for Christmas. I was amazed at the craftsmanship and detail that had gone into this work of art. Haley jumped on it and began riding it, with no thought of its craftsmanship, like any child would. However, I stood dumbfounded and amazed at the ability of my father to do such an amazing job with a craft he had no experience in. I learned a valuable lesson that day about excellence. I’m sure my daughter would have been perfectly satisfied with any old toy from her grandfather that day; but, instead, he gave her something that she can now pass down from generation to generation because my father understood the importance of being excellent at everything “you put your hand to do.” It was because he valued his granddaughter and, most importantly, he wanted to honor God by giving his very best in everything. Not perfection, but his very best. He exhausted all his resources of information about the topic of wood carving by doing his due diligence in reading everything he could before he began the job. The end result is a precious piece of art that even years after his passing we enjoy and remember.
What’s the big deal with excellence? Why waste time and money on
something when mediocre will do? Why go the extra mile when you don’t have to? These are sentiments that are becoming more and more prevalent in our society and even in the church. Quality as a whole in the U.S.A. had dropped to an all time low. Pride in your work was a staple in the American workforce at one time. Now, mediocrity, “creative engineering”, doing the minimum, and only what’s required is the norm. Excellence has become the exception rather than the rule. How did we get addicted to mediocrity? It’s about attitude and values. You give your best because your values have been set. Roy Disney, the brother of Walt Disney and the mastermind behind Disney World and Disney Land, once said, “It’s not hard to make a decision when you know what your values are.” Excellence has nothing to do with
perfection, but with value. What and who do you value? Put yourself in the other person’s shoes and ask, “If it were me on the receiving end of whatever, would I be satisfied with the work, job, craftsmanship?” The end result of excellence is not the thing you do or the product you produce but people. People will always be affected and effected by the quality of who you are and what you do. If you were going for an operation, would you not want your surgeon to do his very best? Or would you be satisfied with his mediocre performance? No, you would want his very best, because your life is in his hands. Your life is valuable to you and also you would believe to your doctor as well. Yes, I know not everything in life is as dramatic as having surgery. Sometimes, with the limited time and resources you have, it’s the best you
can do. Your best may not always be up to others’ standards, but the point is that you gave it your best.
It was the wicked, lazy servant in Matthew 25 that Jesus said only did the bare minimum. He was given something and did nothing with it and gave back to the master what was his. He did nothing more, nothing less. But the story we don’t hear is the one that affected his family. What he had was taken from him and given to someone more faithful to living beyond mediocrity and giving their very best. But his wife and children I’m sure suffered because he didn’t give his very best. Now they weren’t able to have the food and home they needed to survive, because he didn’t give his best. I don’t give my best because it’s the right thing to do. I give my best because of the inherent value people have. My wife, daughters,
friends, brothers, work colleagues, people in the local market, are valuable because God has placed value on and in them, so my best is what they should receive.
Philippians 2:4 has been a hallmark verse in my life. “Have this attitude that was also in Christ Jesus…” God,
the King of the Universe and those unknown, valued us enough to give His very best in Jesus Christ. Jesus gave not just His best but His all. Why? Because He valued us, and that understanding determined His attitude toward everything in His life, even to the point of giving His life for us. Wow, talk about someone who has their values set. If I am a follower of Jesus Christ, it means I take on His attitudes, His values, and His way of living. Jesus was not addicted to mediocrity or being “good enough” and neither should you and I.
God is not looking for perfect people, because there are none. We are made perfect and complete in Him, and He empowers us through His Holy Spirit to give our very best and no longer be addicted to mediocrity.
What’s the big deal with excellence? Why waste time and money on
something when mediocre will do? Why go the extra mile when you
don’t have to?
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26 AMERICAN HOMES & WHERE WE LIVE
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