The study guide read, “If it turns out that God is real and you can ask Him one question, what would it be?”
The small group offered answers, but one stood out. “I would ask if I have done enough. If I have been good enough.”
In spite of knowing Jesus most of my life, I still find myself wondering if I am doing enough, am good enough, am … Christian enough.
And when I look at myself, the answer is … No, I haven’t; no, I’m not. So I start searching for more to do, more to be. More tasks, commitments, labors.
Then, one morning, God gently reminded me of this:
As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught. But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.”
But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:38-42 NLT
And heard Him say, “Pam, you are worried and upset over all the details. Come, sit with Me for a while and listen. That is what I want most, to be with you.”
And when I ask again, “Have I done enough?” He tells me, “Don’t be worried! Have faith in God and have faith in me. I did enough. Center your faith on that.”
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“The good news is that Christ frees us from the need to obnoxiously focus on our goodness, our commitment, and our correctness. Religious has made us obsessive almost beyond endurance. Jesus invited us to a dance…and we’ve turned in into a march of soldiers, always checking to see if we’re doing it right and are in step and in line with the other soldiers. We know a dance would be more fun, but we believe we must go through hell to get to heaven, so we keep marching.” Steve Brown, A Scandalous Freedom