Doing The Least Bad

"Jesus, I’m not as bad as that person..."

Maybe not in those words, but this just might be the phrase spoken around the world. How often do we compare ourselves to others? As a kid in Newark (Best city in the whole wide world!), there wasn't a basketball court you could go to that didn’t have someone shooting a basketball and exclaiming, "KOBE!" as they shot the ball. He was my generation's Michael Jordan and, therefore, was the standard of basketball supremacy. We all compared ourselves to him, and he was the standard upon which we judged skill.

Somewhere, between childhood and becoming an adult, we changed our comparative focuses. They went from desiring to be as good as Kobe, to not wanting to be as bad as the worse player. No longer did we compare ourselves to the best, rather we judged ourselves based on the worse.

Instead of doing the most good, we've settled for doing the least bad.
 
"Jesus I may not be the best, but I’m not the worse..."

That's got to count for something, right? Right? In the words of the old lady explaining Facebook to another old lady, "That's not how this works. That's not how any of this works."

Not that we dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who are commending themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding. - 2 Corinthians 10:12

When Paul wrote his letter to the Corinthians, there were several false teachers spewing their poison into any set of ears that would hear them. Paul needed the people to be weary of these people, because foolishness can be contagious. To prevent the spread of this ignorance, Paul knew the first step in prevention is identification. He was telling the people of Corinth that they will know the truth by the standard it's compared to. Paul boasted in Jesus, whereas these teachings set themselves as the standards by which all things are measured.

Like them, we compare ourselves to the wrong thing. In our minds, "If I’m not the poorest, then I'm not poor." When in reality, we are. In the same way, "If I'm not the worse, then I'm not bad at all." Even though we do a fantastic job of convincing ourselves of this, we know it isn't true.

So what then should we do?

Instead of straddling mediocrity, let us strive for excellence! Easier said than done, right? I know because #TheStruggleIsReal. Well, since we are changing perspectives, why stop now? We fear failure and disappointment. These fears make the decision to avoid striving for the standard of Jesus easier. Perhaps we should change our perspective on what we are afraid of failing to reach.

Perfection.

It's out of our reach. A place we can't get to. This is true for our earthly selves. Luckily for us, perfection isn't a destination or the last stop on a train. It's a moment-by-moment opportunity. Each of these moments is a chance to see how our actions compare to that of the one true standard, Jesus Christ!

Ecclesiastes 7:20 says, "Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins." because all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). However, we are commanded to try because our heavenly Father is perfect (Matt. 5:48). 

Paul reminds us in Philippians 3:12-15 that this goal is worth striving for, "Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you."

A wise man once said, "If you're not first, you're last." Although he may have been a bit misguided, he still pointed out the truth that we should always strive to be the best version of ourselves that we can be. That's only possible if we dare to be like Jesus.

To be like Jesus, this hope possesses me.
In every thought and deed, this is my aim, my creed.
To be like Jesus, this hope possesses me.
His Spirit helping me, like Him I'll be.

Written by Lt. Darell Houseton
Newark Ironbound Corps

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My Six, Three, Seven, or Twelve Point Plan

Have you ever been in a meeting, conference, conversation or any interaction and feel like your head is spinning?

"If you only follow these (5) steps in my book, life will be perfect." Purchase my book and "Have A New Kid By Friday." Simply follow the 'South Beach Diet,' and be slim and trim.  Everyone is telling us how to improve managing our home, kids, workout routines…and the list goes on…and on…I think you get my point.

Information overload can become just that - overload. How do we know where to turn? What is the answer?  

Stop spinning for a moment, and take encouragement from these words found in Paul's letter to the Romans 8:5b (NIV).  

"…but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires."

Hear me on this one - being productive, efficient, and focused are not bad things. The trouble comes when our focus is off. Scripture needs to lead the way.     

Listen to it in another version from the Message, and see if this resonates with you:

Romans 8:5 (The Message)

"Those who think they can do it on their own end up obsessed with measuring their own moral muscle but never get around to exercising it in real life.  Those who trust God’s action in them find that God’s Spirit is in them – living and breathing God."

Let us be known as people who "trust God’s action in them" and not simply a person who trusts in a business plan, the latest gadget, app, or 5-step book.

Written by Chip Kelly
Territorial Lay Leader
Development Bureau Director

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