just enough to get by...

I found myself wrecked this week with feelings of doing just enough to get by... Sometimes for survival... sometimes to keep up appearances, but I feel like the trend is to do just enough. Sometimes "just enough" is different for different people, but typically we set the standard. Some students decide they're going to do just enough to get by passing (D = degree!) while others decide they're going to do just enough to get by and keep their scholarship or just enough to get by and get an A... but I'm not sure at any point "just enough" is enough.

My tendency to fall into just enough usually stems from my fear of living up to the high expectations of doing everything. I think I can handle just enough because the risk of failing is pretty low, while if I really set my sights on the pinnacle, on doing everything, I could fail or be rejected or get hurt. Somehow I convince myself it would be easier to take the pedal off the metal... to lower my expectations and do just enough.

And yet, just enough is not very fulfilling. Whether it's school, friends, work, faith, relationships... just enough sounds so good in theory... the work load is lighter, the risk is less... and yet the reward mirrors what you put into it.

I don't want to second guess what could have been had I just done more. I don't want to live a life of routine or rituals to make myself feel better about what is enough, but I do want to live sold out in every moment without holding anything back.

"His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness." - 2 Peter 1:3

His glory and goodness can't ever mean "just enough." Paul told us in Colossians to "work at it with all your heart." There's nothing about that even hinting at just enough.

Let's take a risk... let's live life seeking everything rather than just enough.

More food for thought...

Lindsey Nobles: http://www.lindseynobles.com/2012/01/drawing-boundaries/
Cru at ISU: http://iowastcru.org/blog/2011/12/05/add-nothing-blog-how-much-faith-is-enough/
Coffee and Matches: http://coffeeandmatches.typepad.com/blog/2011/05/deadly-purple-fruit.html