When my
husband and I went out to dinner recently, we were served by an extremely
helpful waitress. This woman seemed to anticipate our every need; she even
suggested an item that was not on the menu.
Throughout
the evening, she served us with both joy and efficiency. She made our evening
so pleasant that the next time we went to that restaurant, we requested her as
our waitress.
In a
society in which mediocrity has become the standard, she distinguished herself
by her excellence.
In the same
way our waitress rose above the crowd, believers in Christ should strive to
shine as lights in the world's darkness.
Unfortunately,
too many believers are content to just get by; they don't try to reach for the
greater things God has for them. They're satisfied to live mediocre lives.
Jesus spoke
against this kind of mediocrity in Matthew 5:46-47 when He said: "For if
you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax
collectors do the same? And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do
more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so?" (NKJV).
Anybody can
love someone who loves him. The question Jesus asked was: "What do you do
more than others? Where do you exceed expectations?"
Our call as
believers is not only to love others but also to love others more than the
world expects. It's when we take the extra leap to love and forgive our
enemies—not just our friends—that we step out of the ordinary and into the
extraordinary.
Reaching
for More
The Bible is full of stories of people who chose to live their lives at more
than a mediocre level.
Moses is
described as a man who was more humble than any other man on the face of the
earth. Nehemiah is described as a faithful man who feared God more than others
did.
John the
Baptist is described in Scripture as more than a prophet. And the Bible says
that Jesus was anointed with the oil of gladness more than His companions.
All of
these were "more than" people—people who would not, could not be
satisfied with the ordinary or the usual. Consequently, each of them was used
by God in an extraordinary way.
Joshua 7
tells the story of the Israelites going off to conquer the city of Ai after
their great, supernatural victory in the city of Jericho. In the afterglow of
Jericho, they felt confident that Ai could be defeated with a minimum of
fighting men.
But there
was something they didn't know. At Jericho, a man named Achan had disobeyed
God's directive to destroy everything in the city. He had kept for himself a
beautiful Babylonian garment, two hundred shekels of silver and a wedge of
gold, thinking no one would know.
Isn't it silly
to think we can hide something from God? Because of Achan's hidden sin, the
Israelites were routed when they went up against the men of Ai. Approximately
36 Israelites died as they fled before a weaker enemy.
Distraught
after the defeat, Joshua wept before the Lord. Then he cried out a question:
"Why couldn't we have settled on the other side of the Jordan?
"Why
couldn't we have been satisfied with just enough? Why did we have to take a
risk for something more?"
The answer
is actually quite simple: It wasn't in Joshua's spiritual nature to settle.
Though Joshua's carnal nature would have been content with a level of
mediocrity that required less effort and sacrifice, he was, deep in his spirit,
a "more than" person.
The Bible
says that whenever Moses worshiped at the tent of meeting, Joshua would linger
in the presence of the Lord long after Moses left (see Ex. 33:11). Joshua
wanted more of God. He could never have settled on the other side of the Jordan
because there was still more land to be conquered for the Lord!
"More
than" people cannot resist the challenge of increasing their territory.
Remember The Prayer of Jabez? The widespread acceptance of that little book by
Bruce Wilkinson showed that its message struck a chord deep in the hearts of believers.
Many of us
began to pray diligently for God to increase our territory. But perhaps we
didn't really understand what we were praying.
To increase
your territory, you have to take it from the enemy. You have to fight for it!
You can't settle for the status quo.
God's
kingdom is an ever-increasing kingdom. The very nature and essence of His
kingdom requires increase.
For us, the
people of God, the challenge to enlarge the place of our dwelling and expand to
the outermost bounds is intrinsic. It's who we really are! As Romans 8:37 says,
we are "more than conquerors."
God has
placed the desire in our hearts to excel, to increase our territory, to pursue
something greater. And when we do that, we become more like Him.
After all,
He is Jehovah-Jireh, the God who is more than enough. His love for us is
extravagant; He
