In Other Words--Intimacy or "Good Enough"?

Last week in my ladies Bible study we were discussing whether we really wanted a life that was intimately entwined with God. We all stated that we knew that the correct answer, the Sunday School answer if you will, was yes. But reality is that maybe we don't really want it. We don't really pursue it because it would mean changing what we are doing, changing our attitudes, altering how we spend our time and who we spend it with. Choosing to be intimate with God means dying to self. And it is easy to say that we want it, but much harder to pursue.

So instead, we settle for "good enough." It is "good enough" to go to church on Sunday morning so I don't need to go other times in the week. It is "good enough" to read my Bible to prepare for a specific study, so I don't need a deep meaningful quiet time everyday. It is "good enough" to pray for a sick friend, so I don't have to get on my knees and plead for that situation that God is clearly putting on my heart. My spiritual life becomes defined by my "good enough".

The problem is my "good enough" is never "good enough" for God. It still misses the mark, by a huge margin. It is not holy. And it is not changing me. It allows me to overlook the things that God wants to develop in my life. And that is not "good enough."

They will eat the fruit of their ways
and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.
For the waywardness of the simple will kill them,
and the complacency of fools will destroy them;
but whoever listens to me will live in safety
and be at ease, without fear of harm."
Proverbs 1:31-33

"I want deliberately to encourage this mighty longing after God. The lack of it has brought us to our present low estate. The stiff and wooden quality about our religious lives is a result of our lack of holy desire. Complacency is a deadly foe of all spiritual growth. Acute desire must be present or there will be no manifestation of Christ to His people. He waits to be wanted. Too bad that with many of us He waits for long, so very long, in vain."
~A.W.Tozer~

Father God, I don't want to settle for good enough! Help me to pursue you with all of me. Help me to not hold back and hesitate when you lead me places that are out of my comfort zone. Don't let me become comfortable or complacent around sin in my life, but give me the courage to confess it and allow you to change me. I desire to follow you. By Jesus' enabling power....Amen.

The hostess for this week's In Other Words is Deborah at Chocolate and Coffee. Please join us there for other looks at Tozer's quote.