January 6, 2024

“Good is the enemy of great.” That statement by author Jim Collins is one of the most profound I have ever read. He wrote it as a challenge to companies who get so busy doing “good work” that they don’t spend the time it takes to create great work. But it’s a perfect description of what happens to many of us in our walk of faith.
Jesus describes it in this parable as the things that take over our lives and choke out the greater work that God wants to do in us and through us. Sometimes those “thorns” are things that we enjoy that just take over more and more of our lives. We get busy pursuing our careers and spend so much time climbing the ladder of success we become failures in our walk with God and our families. Others of us get caught up in hobbies like sports, fitness, or other activities. All good things in and of themselves. But sometimes our obsession with such things pushes God to the leftover time and space in our lives until we’re producing little or no fruit from His Spirit.
Let me give you an even more dangerous “good” thing that chokes out the great. Being too busy doing “God stuff” that we don’t have time for God Himself. Some of us have schedules that are crammed full of church activities. We work with kids. We sing in the choir. We help out in the community soup kitchen. We are so busy DOING things for God that we don’t leave time to just BE with God. Pastors do the same thing. We prepare sermons. We attend meetings. We visit hospitals. We do counseling. We do a lot of really, really good stuff. But it’s not the GREAT stuff. The great stuff is where we sit before God as His Kids and not His workers. It’s the time we spend letting Him restore our soul. It’s making sure we’re seeking God to stay on HIS agenda, rather than constantly asking Him to bless OUR agenda. And in so doing, many of us who are His hardest workers are also His most depleted and fruitless followers.
Please hear my heart. Sports, hobbies, and fun activities add great joy to life. Serving the church by teaching, leading, helping, or preaching is wonderful and sacred. But sometimes, if we’re not careful, these things take the place of having a vibrant, intimate walk with God. And that’s when something tragic happens. Good becomes the enemy of great. That’s God’s Word for you today.