Good is not good enough; complete conformity to Christ’s image is the plan of grace.
Most of us are just too easily satisfied. It’s not that we ask too much from our Savior. We have the polar opposite problem—we are willing to settle for far too little. Our personal goals, wishes, and dreams fall far short of God’s plans and purposes for us. God will settle for nothing less than each of us being completely conformed to the likeness of his Son. He will finally and completely defeat sin and death. He will not abandon his purpose for any reason at any time. Our problem is that often we don’t share his mind or buy into his purpose.
Other mentalities capture us:
1. The Consumer Mentality. Here we’re like religious shoppers. We really don’t have functional loyalty to the plan of God. We’re looking for a religious experience that is comfortable and meets our felt needs, and we have no problem in moving when we’re dissatisfied.
2. The “Good Is Good Enough” Mentality. Here we’re thankful for the changes that grace has brought into our lives, but we get satisfied too easily. We’re satisfied with a little bit of biblical literacy or theological knowledge, a slightly better marriage, a little personal spiritual growth, and so on. We quit seeking, but God is far from being finished with transforming.
3. The “This Bad Thing Can Work” Mentality. Here we work to make the best out of what God says is not good. So, for example, a married couple is satisfied with marital détente; they learn to negotiate one another’s idolatries rather than working toward a truly godly marriage.
4. The Personal Comfort vs. Personal Holiness Mentality. Here what captures our hearts is the craving for a life that is comfortable, pleasurable, predictable, and problem free. We tend to judge God’s goodness based on how well life is working for us rather than on his zeal to make good on his redemptive promises to us.
5. The Event vs. Process Mentality. Here we are just impatient. We sort of want God to do the good things he has promised us, but we don’t want to have to persevere through a lifelong process. We want God’s work to be an event rather than a process, and when it’s not, our commitment begins to lag.
So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me. – Philippians 2:1-18 ESV
Ask yourself today, “What do I really want from God?” Have you made the purposes of his grace your life purpose? Do you want what he wants or are you simply too easily satisfied?