The idea that if something is "fine" then there is no need to put any effort into it.
You can see this in many areas...
*Marriages
*Parenting
*Ministries
*Health
You name it.
The way it works is this...
My marriage is fine. We are fine. We get along. We are living a good life. There is no need to work any harder than I have to.
My kids are fine. No teacher has called complaining, so I guess there is no problem. My kids are not getting into too much trouble, so I guess they are doing alright.
The church is fine with the way it's going. There are a few people who come to my Sunday School class, so I guess I will be content with just those few.
My blood pressure is fine. I haven't had a heart attack. My pants still fit, so I guess I don't have to eat healthy or exercise.
It can literally work this way in any area of your life.
But here's the thing.
IT IS NOT OKAY TO JUST BE FINE!
See..FINE is not cool to me.
I don't want fine.
I want better than fine.
I want incredible.
I want the best.
I don't want to just survive throughout my life, I want to enjoy every second of it!
Just last month, I had a little talk with AJ. He is 12.
I said listen...You are going to be 13 soon.
Ya know, a teenager.
I want you to know that people around me have told me for years that you are going to start being rebellious, moody, hard to get along with, disrespectful and basically a nightmare.
I also want you to know that you do not have any responsibility to live up to (or should I say down to) that!
You are responsible before God to honor and respect your mom whether you are 2 or 52.
I told him...there may be times that you are in a really horrible mood. There may be times when I just really irritate you. But I want you to know that you are just as responsible to obey God during those times, as you are during the times you just won your soccer game and I bought you your favorite video game. I don't expect you to be perfect, but I do expect you to be growing closer to God every day.
Don't be disrespectful and rude just because people say all teenagers are.
And that is what I think I should do with every relationship, every aspect of my life.
I don't want to live with the mentality that things are fine.
I want to live better than that.
Don't think that just because your life is a certain way right now, that it has to stay that way.
Don't settle for less than what God has promised you!
God promises a life that is crazy exciting.
Yes, that's right.
Your life is supposed to be crazy exciting!
Don't settle into the if-it-ain't-broke-don't-fix-it mentality.
Sure, it's going to take a little work.
You are maybe going to have to have a hard conversation with your husband, or your kids, or a friend.
But the things that we care about the most are the things that we need to take the most care with!
We need to treat these things like the valuable treasure that they are.
Go ahead.
Go have that conversation.
Work at what you have so you don't lose what you have.
Such a good reminder!!!
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