Good Enough

What, exactly, is "good enough"?

Whether it's our diet, our walk with God, our jobs, or just plain living life, seems we always try to measure up to something. 

We stress and strive to be "good enough".

On my way into work last week, I passed two company-owned vehicles. On the first, I noticed incomplete lettering on the back - a few of the letters had faded or fallen off. On the second, the two-word name was only on the driver's door, and one of the words was slightly angled. 

My first thoughts: "Don't they realize that this sloppy lettering doesn't represent them very well? Not sure I would hire them - would their work for me also be sloppy?"

Maybe they don't have the money to repair the lettering. And maybe the other angled the word to draw attention to it - maybe it was intentional.

The Lord's still small voice pierced my judgmental thoughts and brought the sweet pain of conviction to my spirit. There were people driving these vehicles. People He loved, people who mattered, people who worked hard and did their best. Who was I to make myself their judge and jury, and condemn them as not "good enough" to earn my business...just because of how they appeared on the outside?

I thought forward to my day, and to my own striving to be "good enough" at my job and sometimes falling short. I thought about my marriage, and my desire to be a "good enough" wife. I thought about my writing, and my goal to be a "good enough" writer.

But the elusive "good enough" always seemed to escape me. What am I really seeking? What is my measuring rod? 

What are all of us striving for when we try to be "good enough"?

One word: Perfection!

We want to get it right...be the best...reach the top. 

When perfection is our measure, we will always fall short.  

But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. (Romans 3:21-24 NIV, emphasis mine)

It's OK to fall short.  Jesus is our perfection, Jesus is our "good enough". He always has been, and He always will be. 

TODAY'S CHALLENGE: Where are you judging yourself or others as not "good enough"? Put your faith in Jesus' righteousness alone, and receive His peace.

As I read back over and tweaked  this post for the fifth time, trying to determine if it was "good enough" to post yet, I had to laugh at myself.

I hit the Publish button.