Living In A World Of Mediocrity

It is sad but true that we live in a time when mediocrity is widely accepted. Excellence is no longer promoted in our society. For example, the employee who works hard at the plant is told by his co-workers to “slow down or you’ll make us look bad.” The student with an attitude geared toward excellence, is shunned by well-meaning friends, and on and on we could go.

Having an attitude of excellence is conducive to material progress. Things like hard work, study, and diligent effort have made our medical system (even with its shortcomings) the envy of the world. Diligence and hard work has led to better things in every aspect of life. For example, our food is safer, cars run cleaner, and we can communicate more efficiently because of the hard work and diligence of people devoted to the pursuit of excellence. In light of the challenges to material existence on this planet, it does not make any sense to accept the lackadaisical.

The acceptance of mediocrity is not only contrary to our best interests materially speaking, it is deadly to our spiritual lives as well. Mediocrity is condemned in the Bible (cf. Revelation 3:16-19). We are expected by God to always do our best (Ephesians 6:5-8). Work is held up as an admirable and honorable thing in the New Testament. Paul said to the brethren in Thessalonica: “For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat.” (2 Thessalonians 3:10).

Paul is saying that not only will a lazy man starve — he should starve! Romans 12:11 tells us that a Christian must be an individual “not lagging in diligence.” The American Standard Version of 1901 renders Romans 12:11 as: “in diligence not slothful.” The words used by the Holy Spirit here gives us the idea that the child of God must be eager, earnest and practice a diligent zeal in all that he or she might do — not being idle or lazy. The idea is that we are to be focused and active in the pursuit of spiritual goals. This focus and activity is also to be a part of our material life, but only as that life is organized according to God’s will (cf. Matthew 6:33-34; Colossians 3:1-17).

What are the practical implications of all of the above listed Scriptures? The bottom line is that as Christians, we will do our best at whatever we do. We will endeavor to be the best employer or employee that we can be (Ephesians 6:5-9; Colossians 3:22; Titus 2:9-10). In our family life, we will work to be the best father, mother, sister, brother, or son and daughter that we can be. Most importantly, we will be diligent to be the best child of God we can be (1 Peter 1:13-16). The inspired words found in Romans 12:11 suggest that we need to be eager — excited about, doing our best in whatever we do, because we serve the Lord!

Evil and error are happy to see the lazy Christian, and with its corrupt culture, our world often encourages us to be satisfied with less than our best. Thus we would do well to view the inclination to be lazy as a temptation to sin — a temptation we are able to resist (1 Corinthians 10:13). Beloved, in our Christian walk, let us make certain that we resist the temptation of easy satisfaction — of a condemning mediocrity (cf. Matthew 25:24-30).

—Mike Riley, Gospel Snippets