greatness

"When better is possible, good enough is unacceptable."

- Dr. Mark Taylor, Jones County Junior College

Dr. Taylor was the choir director for JCJC when I was in school there, and this quote was ingrained into our brains.  I am pretty sure it was even on our choir t-shirts.  As a 19 year-old kid sitting in a choir room with 70 plus other 19 year old kids, this statement pretty much rocked my world as much of my life I had just been good enough!  I was reminded of this saying this past Sunday during church - our pastor has been going through Judges on a mission to show us what not to do through seeing the cycle of disobedience.  I know you are thinking, Judges? Really?  But honestly, it has been a very insightful and life-changing series.  I think sometimes seeing others mistakes and cycles of bad decisions can help us recognize our own cycles and bad decisions.  So this Sunday we looked at the life of Samson, and one of the things that Samson was guilty of, that led to his demise was replacing something great for something good.  Samson was a Judge - a man chosen by God to deliver the people of Israel, and he threw it all away.

I know that I have been quite guilty of this especially recently.  I have been praying for God to lead me and guide me - to make my paths straight as to which direction my life should go.  Through Bible study and reading and searching, I felt God stirring my heart down a particular path.  Instead, I became greedy and hard-headed which just lead to disappointment and discouragement.  Oh how often I fail Him, how often I choose not to use this life to bring glory to Him.  It breaks my heart, because through all of my struggles and all of our trials I want this life to bring glory to God.  Sunday I was confronted with these failures and sins, and it is with a heavy heart and spirit that I beg forgiveness.  God gifted me with very specific talents and abilities, and I must take those to Him and allow Him to use them first.  I also must submit to His calling and plan instead of trying to make it my plan and my calling.

You may be wondering why in the world I would share this with all of you, but to be honest I am not exactly sure.  I feel like once it has been typed and published, it could serve as some accountability to stay on this path He has made straight.  It is so much like me to finally get what I had prayed and pleaded for and to dismiss it!!!  

"True Greatness is using your talents and abilities to bring glory to God (my paraphrase)."

- John Stockstill, CrossPointe Community Church

So perhaps I put these two statements together to make sense of these ramblings.  Better is possible, greatness is possible when I do not replace bringing glory to God with attempting to bring glory to myself.  I want so much to leave a mark on this world - I want people to look at my life and see that it was totally and completely dependent on God and that it was used to give a correct estimate of God!  

May your life be great!

Much Love,

Colie