Practice makes perfect. Try harder. Dig a little deeper. Push just a little more. Come on you can do it! We can hear the words of well-meaning people shouting at us from the sidelines of life. These are mottos for many of us as we navigate the difficult days we experience. Are we good enough to make it? Do I have what it takes to achieve the successes I desire in life? What makes me good enough?
These are all good thoughts and honestly in life there’s nothing wrong with trying harder and doing better and improving everyday over the one before. Seriously, if you’re working at something and not getting better perhaps you’re not doing it right! But what about when it comes to being good enough to go to heaven? How do I know if I’m good enough? What do I need to do to know that heaven will be mine?
Jesus was asked a very similar question by a man probably not too much different from many of us. It’s a part of the Bible known as the parable of the rich young ruler. Now admittedly, most of us aren’t rulers in any political sense but we are similar to this guy in a few ways.
First the man had everything he needed and pretty much everything he wanted. He had a bank account and many possessions. He was loved and respected. People looked up to him. We’re not all that different here. If you’re reading this then you have a device that lets you access digital media. That puts you in a class in this world known as rich, even if you don’t feel rich sometimes.
He was also a ruler, meaning that he was responsible for decisions and people around him. We may not be rulers in any political sense but we do lead people. Everyone leads in some way or another. The question however is how do we lead, but that’s a question for another time.
He questioned what he had to do to be saved. He asked if he was good enough. And if we’re being honest, many of us have asked a similar question at some time in our lives. Are we good enough? How will we be remembered? What legacy will we leave? Am I a good enough person?
Jesus addresses this with a pretty bold and direct statement. What must we do to be saved? Sell all that you have and give to the poor and follow Christ. That’s pretty much the sum of his teaching. Follow Jesus. Pretty simple.
The essence of what Jesus is saying is asking if you’re good enough is the wrong question. It’s wrong because you’ll never be good enough. You see good enough is a question that really drives at how far can we lower the standards. Jesus says I’m not lowering the standards at all! I’m fulfilling their requirements for you and I’m good enough for you. i
You see the essence of what it means to be a Christian is that Jesus did it all. He did what we could never do. He fulfilled all of the requirements of good enough because he knew we couldn’t do it. And what’s even better is that he then took his accomplishments and credited it to us! That means his good enough has become our good enough.
So are you good enough? Alone the answer is no, but with Christ the answer is yes – you’re more than good enough!
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