Good Enough

Good Enough
Philippians 3.12-14
"12Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."

There is an interesting phenomenon among computer programmers called refactoring. Refactoring essentially says that one should continuously organize, simplify, and remove dependencies in his code in order to keep his software as functional and extensible as possible. This means we don't just say "it works" and then never touch it again. We keep mending it over and over again until it is in its purest possible form. I think there is a similar thing that Christ is doing to us. You see, just being "good enough" as a Christian implies a serious flaw in our mindset. Salvation is not merely a single event in our lives, but it is an ongoing process.

Paul emphasizes the process of perfection here in Philippians 3. He admits that he has not "already obtained" Christ's form or has "already been made perfect." Nevertheless, Paul's goal is to "press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me." Beloved, how often do we ourselves say this? To be perfectly honest, it is not something emphasized in the 21st Century Western, materialistic world. We would rather speak of what God can give to us than topics which imply input on our part. We must be careful here, for the process of perfection of which I am speaking does not in any way bring us justification by works. In other words, pressing on towards the goal of Christ does not mean we bring ourselves salvation or score love points with God. Rather, it is an evidence that we are being shaped more and more into the image of Christ. Like a well-maintained computer program, we are being structured in a form that looks like our Maker wishes.

But sinful Man is reluctant to accept this task. As I said before, we wish to preach more on grace and blessings than that which would require effort. We only wish to be "good enough." There is certainly a wonderful place for grace and blessings, but if we do not put forth the effort to "press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called [us] heavenward in Christ Jesus," then how can we expect God to be abundantly working within our lives? It is like the man who stops halfway through his math course, admiring his work but ceasing to finish the course. What more is he learning other than his growing ego? No, to be shaped into the image of Christ we must follow God's Word: we must "[forget] what is behind and [strain] toward what is ahead." That means that if we are constantly straining towards Christ, our eyes, our focus, and our passion are all on Christ. He becomes our center and our only source of life. Once this dependency begins to be firmly rooted, Christ begins to do mighty and marvelous works in our lives. Our whole attitude of life shifts. The strenuous, burdensome, and frustrating days of our lives suddenly brighten up. Our outlook turns heavenward. We pursue Christ with intensity, focus, and purpose. We gain, what someone once said, "gazelle-like intensity."

The question, beloved, is how are we responding to Christ's call? Every breath we take leads us closer to our Maker. How are we to approach Him? The Scripture says we should build our lives around His image. Are you trying to just squeak by in Christ? Is heaven just a place of safety and security for you after you leave your earthly shell? Or is it the place where you look forward to seeing Christ face to face, being made perfectly in His image? That process of perfection is taking place daily. Are you accepting it? If not, I pray you will come to Jesus today and begin to pursue it with Him. Remember, He loves you and wants you to be like Him. If you will submit to Him, He will shape you into His own image: an image of love, patience, peace, and focus. You don't have to just be good enough. Amen.

With love in Christ,



Austin Aldrich