The Deception of Good

Today while visiting with a friend about walking with Christ the Lord dropped this nugget in my Spirit…a good thing becomes bad thing when it distracts from a greater thing.

As I pondered this thought I was reminded at how true and challenging this thought is. “Bad” things are easy to detect and clear to see that a greater thing is better. A wrong attitude, wrong action, wrong choice is often easy to recognize and a better choice or path is often clear. Following through on such an observation can be much more challenging but the ability to see that a greater thing is needed to replace the bad thing is seldom in dispute.

Is not the greater challenge when it is the good thing being questioned? Good by nature is exactly that…good. Yet a good attitude, good action, good choice can actually prevent us or keep us from a greater thing. How deceptive it can be to fill our lives with good things leaving no more room for greater things. Isn’t this Jesus' challenge to Martha in Luke 10:38-42? Martha was busy with many good things but was distracted from the greater thing. The good things became a bad thing when they kept her from the greater thing…spending time with Jesus.

For the sincere follower of Christ the question is not whether our life is filled with good things. That is a given. The question is will good things keep us from greater things. Is there any room in our lives for Christ to challenge us to something better? To leave good for great?

This is the challenge before us not only as individuals but as a church family. Not the forsaking of bad. Our church is good. Many good things, many good ministries, many good people. It is not a wrong we are trying to right but a greater we are seeking to discover.

Experiencing Christ ourselves is good, helping others experience Him is greater! Living life is good, opening our lives to live with others is greater! Enjoying God’s blessings is good, sharing it with our community is greater!

There are many good Christians and good churches in our community. I don’t want to be good. I don’t want to let the distraction of good to keep me from greater. I want to hear Christ speak over me the words He spoke to Mary, “Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

So I ask us...what good things in our life might God be trying to challenge and replace with greater things?

What an adventure we are on...Eph. 2:10!!!!

Blessings,
Darren