'Good Enough' Isn't

Today’s Bible Reading:  1 Chronicles 25-27; 1 Thessalonians 4
Topic: Godly Living

SCRIPTURE:  1 Thessalonians 4:1

…we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more. (1 Thess 4:1 NIV)

OBSERVATION:

The Apostle Paul commends the Thessalonian Christians for living their lives in a way that was pleasing to God, but then asks and urges them to do so “more and more.” The request is given with urgency. One might reasonably ask why such urgency if they are already conducting themselves well before God? Perhaps Paul knew they would be facing increasing pressure to conform to their world. Perhaps he was concerned that they set the proper example in the midst of their world. 

APPLICATION:                                        

Sometimes good enough isn’t good enough. In our world today the boundaries of morality are constantly being pushed away from what is pleasing to God. As Christians we need “more and more” to be upholding godly standards of living, not less and less; and the only way we are capable of doing this is “in the Lord Jesus.” The admonition therefore, is not just to behave more and more godly; that is the result of following the admonition to be more and more in Jesus.

PRAYER:

Lord, on my own I am weak and ineffective; but in You may I be a positive influence for You in the world more and more.

For Your glory. Amen.  –AP