Is it ok to be satisfied with a Mediocre Life, while following Jesus?

[Sudsy]

There is no such thing as a mediocre life while following Jesus.

Agree and it is radical and will generate persecution and other sufferings according to Jesus. I believe this is some of what being 'fruitful' includes. Contentment, imo, is with what we have in this life but not with regard to godliness. That we are to pursue in the various ways of serving God.

I don't believe being 'the quiet in the land' best describes what Jesus and His disciples portrayed. We are not to withdraw into our communities and comforts but to press on and accept the fight against the powers of darkness.

We have the wrong mindset if we have a goal to be honoured by man in our Christianity. It is all about Jesus and pointing others to Him. When it is all about Jesus, what happens to us in this little blip of time is unimportant. 'Bearing much fruit' I believe is reflecting much of the fruit of the Spirit in our lives and as the text says is much about our love for one another as believers.

When Christians have 'closed communion' in their groups and don't allow other brothers and sisters within the family of God to participate, this doesn't look to me like the kind of family love that Jesus would approve of or any of this restrictive worship with other believers of other groups. Well, I guess I stuck my neck out now and maybe should challenge the whole biblical notion of 'closed communion' in a separate thread. Sorry, continue on.

[Bootstrap]

Here's something I connected with when I read the OP.

We had two Congolese families arrive last Wednesday. I wound up leading the apartment setup, asking people to cook meals and get groceries, and drove the van that picked them up at the airport. People saw my name, they asked me how to help, I put them to work and organized the communication, and that felt good. And while this was happening, it became clear that two women would be able to lead this effort much better than I can going forward because these are two single mothers and their children, so I asked them to lead. That means I am no longer in the center of things. I'm a lot less important to what happens here.

I hope I will be able to build a friendship with one of the brothers. Nothing official, just a friendship. A small, simple, friendship that gets no recognition. And I think that's the more important thing for me to be doing. We'll see if it works out, that depends on him as much as it depends on me. It feels really good when the people who want to serve contact me. Now they will contact someone else. And actually, that's good.

[MaxPC]

Like others I have trouble with the word mediocrity which in its current modern usage is not a flattering adjective.

The "ordinary life" is what we sometimes use; the "simple life" is another. It's the opposite of extremism in word or actions. Luke 16:10 helps our family to understand that all things we do for Christ has value, not just the headliners or conference themes. Echoing this verse is a quote from Mother Teresa of Calcutta:
“Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.”

That sums up our family life pretty much and we strive to be in God's will in these things.

[Joy]

Shouldn't we give our best for Jesus?

Definitely.

But I think the point of the article is that giving our best for Jesus might not look like being superman. I think the article would have been clearer if it had not used the word 'mediocre', I think that 'contentment' is closer to what the author is trying to say.

For instance, just being friends with someone and praying for them over time can be a very meaningful ministry. I think you do that with prisoners. That looks very different from what Billy Graham did in his crusades. I don't think 'mediocre' is a good way to describe it, but it isn't glamorous.

Maybe giving our best means obeying everything He said to do, with a joyful attitude.

Nope, standing in visitor's line at prison isn't glamorous. Especially when other visitors assume the sex offender (bottom of the totem pole) is your son. So now I'm his Mom 2.

Perhaps the key to service is being the best you can in using the gifts He gives you, where He calls you.

[temporal1]

OP, Page 1

https://www.alifeinprogress.ca/want-mediocre-life/

I like this. I suppose some more of you can identify with this also.

This has become more real to me the last year and a half since I contracted Lyme disease and can no longer dream about being a "Christian super man" some day.

i’m heartbroken to learn you have Lyme disease. i’ve read about it. i will pray for healing.
were you sick at the time of your father’s accident?

about mediocrity and supermen of Christ ..
God has not abandoned you. you may get to learn some new ways of thinking, and acting out your faith in all this. God uses all for His purposes. don’t underestimate Him.

2 Corinthians 4:11
http://biblehub.com/2_corinthians/4-11.htm
Treasures in Jars of Clay
…10 We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.
11 For we who are alive are always consigned to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our mortal bodies.
12 So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.…

[Sudsy]

Shouldn't we give our best for Jesus?

Definitely.

But I think the point of the article is that giving our best for Jesus might not look like being superman. I think the article would have been clearer if it had not used the word 'mediocre', I think that 'contentment' is closer to what the author is trying to say.

For instance, just being friends with someone and praying for them over time can be a very meaningful ministry. I think you do that with prisoners. That looks very different from what Billy Graham did in his crusades. I don't think 'mediocre' is a good way to describe it, but it isn't glamorous.

Maybe giving our best means obeying everything He said to do, with a joyful attitude.

Nope, standing in visitor's line at prison isn't glamorous. Especially when other visitors assume the sex offender (bottom of the totem pole) is your son. So now I'm his Mom 2.

Perhaps the key to service is being the best you can in using the gifts He gives you, where He calls you.

Amen but it's easier for you to have a joyful attitude, Joy.

[Ernie]

There is no such thing as a mediocre life while following Jesus.

I agree. But a true disciple of Jesus may well look mediocre to someone who is judging by worldy standards or by stereotypes of what a good Christian looks like.

I think that's what the article is getting at.

Yes.

[Spartaeus]

Each part of the body of Christ has a different purpose, a difference role to play in the body of believers. Not all have the same purpose. Although in modern churches and unfortunately even in anabaptist churches many of the proper roles are not utilized or allowed to be fruitful. That's when a body of believers fail to thrive according to God's will. Jesus left his church in our hands. We are now his body on earth. And commanded to carry on as he did. So how can there be fruit if the tree is not allowed to bear fruit because different parts of the body keep arguing with the other parts. If Christ is the standard, isn't it time to declare ourselves believers, and stand up and bear fruit!!! And if not, then what are we all doing?

1 Corinthians 12:12-27
1 Corinthians 111 Corinthians 13

1 Corinthians 12:12-27 New International Reader's Version (NIRV)
One Body but Many Parts
12 There is one body, but it has many parts. But all its many parts make up one body. It is the same with Christ. 13 We were all baptized by one Holy Spirit. And so we are formed into one body. It didn’t matter whether we were Jews or Gentiles, slaves or free people. We were all given the same Spirit to drink. 14 So the body is not made up of just one part. It has many parts.

15 Suppose the foot says, “I am not a hand. So I don’t belong to the body.” By saying this, it cannot stop being part of the body. 16 And suppose the ear says, “I am not an eye. So I don’t belong to the body.” By saying this, it cannot stop being part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, how could it hear? If the whole body were an ear, how could it smell? 18 God has placed each part in the body just as he wanted it to be. 19 If all the parts were the same, how could there be a body? 20 As it is, there are many parts. But there is only one body.

21 The eye can’t say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” 22 In fact, it is just the opposite. The parts of the body that seem to be weaker are the ones we can’t do without. 23 The parts that we think are less important we treat with special honor. The private parts aren’t shown. But they are treated with special care. 24 The parts that can be shown don’t need special care. But God has put together all the parts of the body. And he has given more honor to the parts that didn’t have any. 25 In that way, the parts of the body will not take sides. All of them will take care of one another. 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it. If one part is honored, every part shares in its joy.

27 You are the body of Christ. Each one of you is a part of it.

[lily of the desert]

https://www.alifeinprogress.ca/want-mediocre-life/

I like this. I suppose some more of you can identify with this also.

This has become more real to me the last year and a half since I contracted Lyme disease and can no longer dream about being a "Christian super man" some day.

Have you read "The God Of The Mundane: Reflections on Ordinary Life for Ordinary People", by Matt B. Redmond?
I read it last year with my Mom.
I have an undiagnosed chronic illness. I was glad when our Father in heaven reminded me of the story of Ruth. She just loved and took care of her mother-in-law. God loved both women and blessed them. Same with the widow who gave her two mites, which was all she had. Sometimes God just gives his children one talent. It doesn't matter how much or how little we have, as long as we use it to the glory of God. The Holy Spirit reminds me when I'm down that if nothing else I know I can pray for my brethren in Christ and pray for unbelievers to be saved, and that's definitely not nothing. . It helped relieve much of the stress I was having for not being able to do much for others. May God bless you.