2 Chronicles 25:2, "And he did that
which was right in the sight of the Lord, but not with a perfect
heart."
In her book "Expecting to See
Jesus: A Wake-Up Call for God's People" Billy Graham's daughter Anne Graham Lotz
refers to a statement made by coach Landry. He said that "during his career he
came across many good athletes — but very few great ones. He said the difference
between a good athlete and a great one is eighteen inches — the distance from
the head to the heart. From his observation based on a lifetime of involvement
in sports, he explained that good athletes have exceptional ability and a
thorough understanding of the game, but great athletes have heart — a passion to
play that drives them to selfless sacrifice, brutally long hours of practice,
undivided focus, and ultimately, to achieve extraordinary
accomplishments."
Mrs. Lotz makes an equivalence
when it comes to good Christians and great Christians. "While there are many
good Christians who have a head knowledge of Scripture, attend church regularly,
are familiar with church traditions and rituals, and are comfortable with
prayer, group Bible study, and outreach ministries, there are very few who are
great." Sounds a little like 2 Chronicles 25:2, "And he did that which was right
in the sight of the Lord, but not with a perfect
heart."
To Mrs. Lot, the really great
Christians are the ones who are so in love with Jesus that they put him first in
their lives and make whatever sacrifices of time, money and desires and are all
in for Jesus.
Mark Batterson wrote about being
all in his book "All In: You Are One Decision Away From a Totally Different
Life." Mr. Batterson tells of missionaries who were told to pack their coffins
as they entered the mission field. "Jesus didn’t die to keep us safe. He died to
make us dangerous. Faithfulness is not holding the fort. It’s storming the gates
of hell. The will of God is not an insurance plan. It’s a daring plan. The
complete surrender of your life to the cause of Christ isn’t radical. It’s
normal." These would be those who not only did what was/is right in the sight of
the Lord and did it with a perfect heart.
I’m privileged to have a very
good friend who teaches two weekly Bible studies, one at church and one in a
tent in the desert. She is all in with respect to her studies and not only takes
an in-depth look at the Bible, she digs in with a backhoe. She lives to serve
and is totally given over to the love of the Lord, someone I would classify as a
great Christian. As for me, I’m devoted to learning and have a deep love for
Jesus and eagerly await his return for his Church. That said, I am not a great
Christian, just one working towards sanctification.
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