Arch Nemesis
With the New Year upon us, I do want to get back to blogging. Writing is something that I enjoy but I find a thousand excuses to keep me from doing it. So, with that being said I want to start the New Year off with a blog that I find intriguing.
If you were like me, growing up cartoons were a must! Some of my favorite cartoons were GI Joe, Superman, Batman, etc. (I still watch them occasionally on Netflix.) Most cartoons have two opposing sides; one side representing good and the other evil. With GI Joe their arch nemesis is Cobra. With Superman you have Lex Luther and Batman has the Joker. The plot always plays out and just when evil is about to win, the good always triumph.
When we talk about the best in life, there is an arch nemesis to the best and it is not the worst. The arch enemy of the best is GOOD. Good things keep us from striving for the best. In sports many athletes settle for being good when they could have done better. Another word that we use often for good is mediocrity. When we settle for anything other than the best, we settle for mediocrity.
There are things in life that we can settle for mediocrity in such as: clothing, houses, cars, etc. These possessions are only materialistic and can be replaced. However, there are things in life that we should never settle for mediocrity in: quality time with family, our walk with the Lord, using our talents to edify the body of believers, witnessing, etc. These are not materialistic items and cannot be replaced.
How often are we guilty for settling for a good relationship with our spouses when, with a little more effort, our relationship could go from good to extraordinary? How often do we settle for mediocrity in our relationship with God? Children? Others?
Mediocrity brings complacency and complacency brings about a spiritual life that has grown dull. A believer who settles for being a good Christian will never reach his/her potential in life. A good Christian is comfortable with their walk with God while a Christian that is seeking the best is always striving to grow closer to God every day.
Sunday we talked about Peter walking on water. Peter had never seen anyone before Christ walk on water but he knew that he could with Jesus’ help. Peter says to Christ, “Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.” (Matthew 14:28) Peter wanted to be where Christ was. The boat brought a physical comfort but the presence of the Lord brings peace. Peter was willing to leave the good (the comfort of the boat) to go to the best (the presence of the Lord.)
Life is made up of choices in life; whether to settle for the good or continue to search for what is best. As you read this, I am praying about something that I am currently doing in our community that is good. However, I feel that I am being led to give it up (nothing related to church) and replace it with something else that will leave a lasting legacy in the lives of some. I would ask you to do the same; ask God to help you search your hearts to see if there are areas that you settled for what is good but there are things that are better.
Life is short; what kind of legacy are you going to leave behind? Mediocrity legacies are quickly forgotten. For those who dare to be different and not settle for the good, their legacies live on. This blog is dedicated to a man by the name of Ken who made a lasting impression on a young lad. He was willing to be different and take that young lad to AWANA so that his foundation in the Word of God could be built. May your legacy live on!