Good vs. Great

"It’s been said that the biggest enemy of great is good."  The biggest enemy most of us will face is ourselves. That nagging voice that says, “Be like him, you’re not worthy, do what she does, go where the crowd is going.”  You see, when you are trying to be like someone else, the best you can ever be is second best.  And you will begin to settle for second best too.  

It’s time to get our eyes off of others and onto God. People will always detour you, but God will always keep you on track. To become the person God intended you to be, use what God has given you.  Follow your unique plan.  Resist imitation and live the unlimited life God has for you!  Live for the eternal life now, otherwise you're going to miss the party.  You're going to miss all the joy and blessings intended for your life if you put all your energy into making money, going to parties, being the center of fame and fortune..  It doesn't work.

"Your ability to advance depends on whether your desired future is greater than your desired present.'

But you can't do it alone.  What you expect determines what you get.  Truly successful people are those who refused to settle for the illusion of now, and instead committed to the reality of tomorrow.  Think and speak beyond your present circumstances...  I know two men, both successful in their own right, both single and about 20 years between them.  One is happy with the good.. the other, he's not willing to settle for good, he wants the great.  It's crazy to see two men that have so much in common and yet have two totally different outlooks on life.  One has so much motivation and the other one seems like he's practically given up.  One is almost always smiling, has a lot of joy in his life and taking in every moment.  The other acts like his life can't get any better, it's all going down hill.  He seems lonely and he's always negative.  

'Love is like gossip.  Many talk of it, but few know its full truth."

 

Love is patient.  Are you patient?  Love is kind.  Are you kind?  Love does not envy.  Love forgives.  Love allows us to fully live.  Your real name is spelled L-O-V-E.  You were made from Love to love.  Take the time to tell those you love how much you love them.  Then, prove it with your actions.  The truth is in your walk, not just your talk.  JP talked about this last night as well-  just how easy it is to talk like a Christian in Dallas, but not necessarily live like a Christian.  I'm sure we are all guilty of that in some aspect of our life.  for instance, I am genuinely a nice person... I'm a compassionate person.. I care a lot about people, and that compassion only comes from God and the person he has instilled in me.  HOWEVER, when I go out or I'm at the airport or even at church, I'm so judgmental!! I actually make a conclusion about people based on what they are wearing, or who they are with?  It's horrible and it's something I am constantly praying about.. I have gotten better at not putting other people down in my out loud voice, but now I still need to stop even thinking it.  It's not any better to think it, and that's something I can't transform on my own..

But that's not the examples JP used.  He talked about a woman who was so angry with God because she "wasted 5 years of her life" on a guy that went no where.. A guy she was living with out of wedlock that she gave so much of her heart to.  And he told us of a guy that lost his job and couldn't support his family.  He was angry that he worked so hard and now was in debt and couldn't get out.  By while he was doing that, he was not tithing 10%, saving 10% and living off 80%.  He was living outside of his means.  As JP said, there are reasons God gives us boundaries.  There are reasons God says no when we want him to say yes.  It's to protect us from pain that we can't imagine.  It's so that when we live life the way he intended for us to we can have a JOY that surpasses all others.

I have seen this, I've lived this...  In college, I had two relationships that were founded in Christ, that honored Christ.  And you know what they didn't work out, and I was hurt when they ended, but I wasn't devastated.  I was able to move on I was able to heal.  Now, I'm not sure what happened to me after college, but I got completely off track.  The next two guys I dated were not Christians.  And that old saying that "it's easier to bring someone down than it is to life them up" is SO true.  I fell away from my walk with Christ. I settled for something that was good because of superficial qualities of the guys, when I could have had something GREAT with a Godly man.  And when those relationships ended, I was devastated.  I was lost.. Emotionally I was turned upside down.  I felt like I didn't know what to do or where to turn.  The second one, I reading the bible with every day and was so thrown off at the double life he was leading...  I was just so lost.  It was horrible.  After both of them, back to back, I realized how much I needed God.  There was no one else who could help me but Him.

Now I am seeing everything the way I should have seen it.. but how will that affect me know?  With my relationship, what is good and what is great?  I'm praying to God, writing to God, and hoping to hear his answers..