2.20b-not to be mediocre, but excellent

2.20b

Yesterday and today were amazing to me because of the excellence of the business workers I encountered.  A mechanic shop.  A natural food store.  A Superstore. A tire store.  Two fast food spots. A Gas station.  A pharmacy.  Eight businesses in Fort worth Texas.  All had employees who had excellent people skills and made me want to come back and do business with them.  I got the impression that their leaders had trained them not to be mediocre, but excellent in all things.

Luke 7.

³¹ “To what then shall I compare the men of this generation, and what are they like? ³² They are like children who sit in the market place and call to one another, and they say, ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not weep.’

not to be mediocre, but excellent

Children have some good qualities by nature and some not so good.  They are trusting and dependent upon God.  Children can also be easily manipulated into following current fads without concern for the long term consequences. We can follow childish ways and be marching in lockstep with the world of the flesh instead of the Spirit of Jesus.  We drift into get by ways instead of superior ways.

When we have screwed up and messed up we need forgiveness from our Savior.  He forgives and we love Him.  The more we are forgiven, the more we love and want to serve Him and others.  Surpassing service is not something we drift into.  It must be a pursuit.

not to be mediocre, but excellent

Luke 7.

⁴⁰ And Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he ^[ad]replied, “Say it, Teacher.” ⁴¹ “A moneylender had two debtors: one owed five hundred ^[ae]denarii, and the other fifty. ⁴² When they were unable to repay, he graciously forgave them both. So which of them will love him more?” ⁴³ Simon answered and said, “I suppose the one whom he forgave more.” And He said to him, “You have judged correctly.” ⁴⁴ Turning toward the woman, He said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has wet My feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. ⁴⁵ You gave Me no kiss; but she, since the time I came in, has not ceased to kiss My feet. ⁴⁶ You did not anoint My head with oil, but she anointed My feet with perfume. ⁴⁷ For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little.” ⁴⁸ Then He said to her, “Your sins have been forgiven.” ⁴⁹ Those who were reclining at the table with Him began to say ^[af]to themselves, “Who is this man who even forgives sins?” ⁵⁰ And He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

not to be mediocre, but excellent

Jesus’s vision for His brothers and sisters is an abundant life.  Not in terms of this world’s wealth, but spiritual wealth within our hearts and souls.  The worldly religious leaders do not want a relationship with Jesus, but religious power.  The way of the world is march to the beat of the drum which says the one with the power and the money is in charge.  Jesus way is that God our Father in heaven is in charge.

We who follow Jesus are not focused on earthly wealth as seen in big luxurious houses and luxurious clothing.  We might live in the desert and not own a home as our Lord and Savior did not have a place to lay His head.  We might have simple, second hand clothing from the thrift store, but we are spiritually clothed with the spiritual attitudes given to us by the Spirit of Jesus.

The life we are being called toward by God’s mercy is one of caring for each other and seeing the blessings of giving to those in need.  We embrace each other and the poor among us with the good news that they are not alone.   We strive to be humble and gentle with each other because life on this planet is hard at times.

not to be mediocre, but excellent

We were all created in the image of God.   God’s plan was for there to be one flock of sheep over which Jesus is the one shepherd.  We do have a variety of jobs to do in this one flock.  Some are given skill to be artists and craftsmen and some meant to organize people to help meet everyone’s needs.  This takes time.  It’s important that we not be childish and led about by the last winds and fads that come and go.  We are anchored in truth and love.  We don’t expect to run away from our problems to grow somewhere else where there is no pain, but we expect to dig deep and lean into the pain and discipline and bloom where we are planted.  We don’t do foolish and futile thinking, but we think about short term and long-term consequences of our choices.

not to be mediocre, but excellent

We have chosen Jesus as our Savior and ultimate teacher in life.  He was sensitive to the needs of people around Him and He was compassionate.   He saw the danger of lusts and sensuality because it can easily harden our heats and souls so that we don’t feel anything.  When we lose feeling we have to keep getting more and more and more to try to overcome that feeling of “no feeling”.  We covet more and more because we are not content with who we are and whose we are.  We keep adding one screen after another trying to find life that Is not in a screen.  It’s in a relationship with people whom we can embrace and laugh and cry with.

not to be mediocre, but excellent

We have been recreated in Jesus for a new life.  We are new creatures.  Our new self recognizes that we were created in the image of God and our new birth has opened our eyes so a new vision of being like Jesus, our teacher.

Falsehood.  Deceit.  Things have no place in our language.  Lies are the language of the devil, not Jesus.  He is full of grace and truth.  We are thermometer in our culture to show whether our surroundings are healthy or sick.  Why?  Because we tell the truth in love as a good thermometer does.

This truthfulness is seen in the way we deal with our emotions.  Yes, we get angry, but handle it in an emotionally honest and healthy way.  We process the anger is a way that communicates what we need and what we don’t need.

We don’t steal.  We work hard with our hands in order to have what we need and also have some to share with others who may be in need.

We do not talk in disrespectful ways whether in the workplace, the community or our homes.  We speak words of joy and love that build up and benefit those around us.

The Holy Spirit is inside our hearts and we try not to grieve Him by how we treat those near to us.  We do not allow bitterness, rage and anger to dwell in our hearts so that we use malicious slander and brawling to settle our issues.

not to be mediocre, but excellent

We seek progress, not perfection.  For us Jesus is the only perfect human.  Maturity to be like God is our ultimate goal, but on the way we walk in path of light, but fall down and must allow God’s grace and mercy to pick us up to begin each day with God’s mercy which thankfully is new every morning.

When we see how Jesus is leading us we know that this is the abundant life that gives us health in our body, soul and spirit.  We know also that we fall short.  We need forgiveness on a daily basis.  We have been forgiven by God and He calls us to stay in that forgiving spirit with ourselves and others.  We are called to forgive others with the same kind of amazing grace that He has extended to us.

Larry Wishard

2.20.20