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Is Jesus Enough?

Daily Reflection / Produced by The High Calling
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You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Matthew 5:48

Living beyond mediocrity can mean many different things. I continue to learn that, in some ways, living beyond mediocrity does not mean we need to do more. Instead, I realize, we live beyond mediocrity when God gives us the strength to be more.

We live in a culture that tends to struggle with the word enough. In my own life, I typically want more. Because I am constantly pressing forward and seeking change, I can easily confuse the concept of contentment with my fear of the status quo. Sometimes, I also confuse growth with achievement. God continues to help me reshape how I view mediocrity. Jesus is enough; however, in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus also invites us to live a life beyond mediocrity.

Jesus’ words in the Sermon on the Mount challenge our ideas about who is powerful and who is weak (Matthew 5:2-12). His words also inspire us as he invites God’s people to live out their true identity as the city on a hill (5:13-16). Jesus addresses sinful motives (5:17-42). The status quo is called into question as Jesus encourages God’s people to love those who are difficult to love (5:43-47). If this is not enough to convict our hearts, Jesus ends the Sermon on the Mount saying, “You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (5:48).

God requires perfection, and we are not perfect (Romans 3:23). Conviction and separation from God are inevitable as we realize we will never meet the unattainable goal of perfection. Yet, Jesus rescues us again and again. Grace and freedom triumph in the end (Romans 8:38-39).

Jesus is enough.

Believing that Jesus is enough involves resting in God’s promises. As we rest in God’s promises, we admit we are not God. True rest in Jesus Christ is central to the Bible’s teachings.

God takes our mediocre messes and calls us his beloved. God transforms our being from one who is in exile to one who has been rescued, and this transformed being informs our doing. Grace is not an invitation to carelessness in our daily lives, yet grace does invite us to rest and to know that, at the end of the day, Jesus is enough.

God calls me to be different and to live out my identity as a daughter of the king in every area of my life. Living beyond mediocrity is rooted in our identity in Christ, and it involves bringing our very best to our homes, our workplaces, our churches, and our communities.

QUESTIONS FOR FURTHER REFLECTION: How is contentment different from accepting status quo? What does living a life beyond mediocrity look like for you? What life circumstances lead you to sometimes question if Jesus is enough? How does your identity in Christ shape and inform your daily activities?

PRAYER: God, I praise you that you transform us and claim us as your people. Identity matters. Thank you for my identity as your child. Help me to not be tempted to confuse my identity. As your child, I am invited to live a life beyond mediocrity because you have redeemed me at great cost through Jesus’ death and resurrection. Thank you for your presence in my life. Amen.

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Moving Beyond Mediocrity

This article is part of our series, Moving Beyond Mediocrity. How often in your daily life do you think, “I wish I could do better”? It’s the feeling you get when you realize you aren’t really trying. Your job, your family, even your hobbies: they are worth working harder. But what does it take to move beyond mediocrity? How do you quit using your education, your upbringing, your circumstances, even your faith, as an excuse to keep you from doing your best? Join us as we discuss giving it our all in our workplaces and our homes, in our communities and our churches, for the common good and for the glory of God. Also, consider inviting others to join you by sharing these stories via email, Facebook, Twitter, or networks you are part of.

Image by Clare Bell. Used with Permission. Source via Flickr.

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