By Pastor Anthony Scott
It has been well summarized that mediocrity is a region bounded on the north by compromise, on the south by indecision, on the east by past thinking, and on the west by lack of vision. Mediocrity or settling for less than what God intends is never the destination for those whom God loves. This is true because from all eternity, God has placed something, or better yet someone, inside each of us which cries to be above average. That someone is Himself.
Eyewitnesses to the earthly ministry of Jesus marveled that He did all things well. The Apostle Paul emphasized that neither our physical senses nor our emotions can fathom the things that God has prepared for those who love and trust Him. So, as you begin your week, reflect over this idea, those who don’t take a chance with God don’t make the advances that God desires for them. All great accomplishments have been made and will be made by those whose faith runs ahead of their minds. It is those who through trust and experience have learned to stretch where God is.
The world’s approach to future possibility is to base the current year’s projections on last year’s performance. Yet within the realm of faith, we know that divine performance is an unpredictable variable. Any undertaking that does not include faith does not amount to being God directed. If our ventures are predictable, measureable, and quantifiable, then God can be left out of our plans. In fact, even a turtle doesn’t get ahead unless he sticks his neck out.
Let me share some takeaways from this week’s inspiration that will enable and empower us to Live Life on Tiptoe.
Our first takeaway is to discover the Godly Motivation within. Alfred Adler, one of the father’s of modern psychiatry, said that one of the dominant impulses in every human is the instinct to get ahead. Rising to the top seems to be a part of our natural equipment. The real difference between the best and the worst of us is not our instincts, but the level to which we dedicate our living to God. The greatest saints are made of the same material as the greatest sinners. Although desire and ambition to get ahead can ruin lives, none of us will ever amount to anything without these characteristics. The key is submission of our desires and ambitions to God so He can employ them for our ultimate good.
A second takeaway is live according to the Godly Faith within. The faith that helps us soar above obstacles and circumstances that are prohibitive to progress. The late Dr. A. Louis Patterson, shares a story in his book, Joy for the Journey about a runner named Bill Broadhurst who entered a 10,000-meter race in Omaha, Nebraska. Bill had undergone surgery ten years earlier for an aneurysm in the brain which left his entire left side paralyzed. On one misty July morning stood 1200 runners ready to compete.
The gun sounded and 1199 took off. Bill Broadhurst could only pull one leg forward at a time lifting and dragging his disabled leg. After thirty minutes the first runner crossed the finish line. One by one all runners finished except Bill Broadhurst crossed. Finally, after two and one half hours Bill Broadhurst crossed the line. Upon seeing this, Bill Rodgers the world-class winner of the event stepped down from the gold medal stand and placed his medal around the neck of Bill Broadhurst because he knew the true winner was not the runner but the sufferer.
The last takeaway is to find the Godly Expectation within. Christianity is based on the hope and expectation of a future that has the prospect of being better than the present. If you are searching for God, He is always out ahead. He does not overtake us from behind, He breaks in from the future and beckons us to move with Him into the wonders of some “not yet-but-can be.” Life is lived better when we have something to look forward to. Never allow the routine of life to become absolute and hypnotize you to the possibilities of what awaits. For amid the predictable regularities of existence the unpredictable breaks through.
One of my fondest childhood memories is waiting at the Tulsa International Airport for my grandmother to arrive from Grand Rapids, Michigan. Being a child I could not see above all the other adults so my expectancy of her arrival had me perched on my tiptoes. It would not be long before I would see her come through the terminal and give me a hug. This is how you and I should live, with an expectancy of God that keeps us perched on our tiptoes.
Until Next Week!
Pastor Scott
