BFMRT - yes it's a word. Or at least it was at Paragon Landscaping where I used to work in Indiana. It stood for their core values - Best of the Best, Fair, Mentoring atmosphere, Respect, and Trust.
The other day I had the privelege of doing some landscaping and cleaning work alongside some wonderful missions minded people from my church. As we walked up to the foundation where we were to be working, I couldn't help but notice a pile of refuse on the drive. There were leaves, and sticks, and molding wood all piled together in a mass resembling a pile of rotting squirrels in an aging forest. Upon meeting with a person in charge, I discovered that the compost dump of a pile in the front was actually mulch, and that we were going to use it to cover all of their landscape beds. My friend and I started working to spread the "chopped up forest heap of dead furry animals" across the beds and around and under bushes. I look over to see him thinking and he says, "hey I know what this stuff is, it's Christian Mulch!" I stared at him incredulously waiting for an explanation, he continued "it's the good enough to get the job done mulch, the take what you can get mulch." It only improved slightly as he continued, "the be thankful for what you've got mulch." - I just shook my head...
That's been the attitude of so many members of the church for so long. People make Christian music, Christian movies, or Christian books, and the next question regarding it is, "is it any good?" Some is good , to which they usually find themselves pleasantly surprised. Other stuff is not, and we find ourselves supporting it just because it's "Christian".
God is a not a shoddy God, or an ok God, or even a pretty good God. God is an excellent God, a creative God who created creativity, a God who expects much, and gives much more.
The Message expounds on Collosian 3:23 the best I think,
3:22-25 Servants, do what you're told by your earthly masters. And don't just do the minimum that will get you by. Do your best. Work from the heart for your real Master, for God, confident that you'll get paid in full when you come into your inheritance. Keep in mind always that the ultimate Master you're serving is Christ. The sullen servant who does shoddy work will be held responsible. Being a follower of Jesus doesn't cover up bad work.
I'm tired of hearing of "Christian" as some subpar genre of anything, under which excellence is the exception. This needs to change, not be cause the word Christian labels and reflects on us, but because it reflects on Christ. We are labeled as followers of Christ, as someone Christ works through. Jesus Christ is someone who did and does all things well and it is Him we are claiming to follow and model after when we call ourselves Christians.
Let it never be said of us that grace and forgiveness is an excuse for us to do poorly, to be lazy or greedy, just simply expecting little to be good enough. I want to do my best. To take time and effort to do every job the best I can, so that people will be able to look at me and say, "He will do his best. He will be trustworthy. He has my respect. He mentors and helps others to grow, and he is always fair, because he is a Christian, and I've learned that's what Christians do" And through we can tell them and they will see first hand, that we are like this because it is who Christ is, and it is HE that is doing this through us!
Maybe then people can look at beautiful golden mulch, or a masterpiece painting, or an awe-inspiring skyscraper - and then to the cross and say that's Christian, and in it, I see Christ.
