Do any of us respect those who do the bare minimum to get by? Or do we prefer those who dedicate themselves to do things well?
Which parents among us are proud if our kids do the bare minimum to get by? If we ask them to clean their room and they pick up one out of ten things in the middle of the floor… are we proud? are we even satisfied? What if they pick up half?
How about an employee that does the bare minimum to get by? The boss asks them to open the store at 9am… and he does… but he is always late, strolling in at 9:30. Is the boss impressed with the employee? Certainly not.
Consider parents. What would we say about parents who keep their children alive but let them be unsupervised and filthy? or let them play in the street where cars are driving by? Would we give them an award for parents of the year? or more likely try to help guide them to be better parents?
How about a spouse? Do we want a spouse who wants to please and show love to us? or are we satisfied with one that just lives alongside us, content to do their own thing without care or concern for us?
It is certainly fair to say that no one respects a slacker. Why then, do so many focus on doing the bare minimum they think is required to get to heaven? Certainly God is not impressed.
Challenge yourself… instead of asking “Do I need to do that to get into heaven?”, ask instead “Would it please God for me to do that?” What a powerful change in attitude. Seek not to do the minimum to “get into heaven”, but rather to draw near to God and please Him. The same approach is also powerful for all of the examples above as well! Children who don’t look for the minimum to get by, but instead seek to please their parents. Employees, parents, spouses seeking to please others… it works.
Don’t be a slacker for God or for your other important relationships in your life. Seek to joyfully and enthusiastically please Him… to obey Him in all things. Do not accept doing “just enough”.
24Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. 25Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 26Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; 27but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.
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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.