Almost isn't close enough.

     I almost finished the job.  I almost made it to the other side.  I almost had some prayer time.  I almost shared the Gospel.  I almost made the most of my time, talents and blessings.  But, I didn't.  Almost doesn't accomplish anything.  Almost means failure.  Almost means missing the mark.  Almost doing the dishes doesn't get the done.  I almost had the house cleaned up, the truck filled with gas and the dogs walked.  But I didn't.  We are an "almost" culture where instead of being able to say "finished" we settle for "almost".  Why?  Because we don't hold up the standard for ourselves and teach our children, friends and families to do the same.  Why bother?  We might just as well put it off for another time, day, or even year.  Almost isn't good enough for you and I.  The Bible says so.  The Scripture says in Matthew, "Be perfect as my father in heaven is perfect."  What?!  Perfect?!  No one is perfect.  Precisely my point.  No one is perfect...except Jesus.  His example of perfection is something that was the work he did so that we could put on Christ in all we think, say and do.  Paul talks about putting on Christ to such a degree that all anyone can see is Jesus in him.  His witness to the world was Jesus and him crucified.  Can we say the same or do we say, "I almost put on Jesus today."
     Almost is the same as saying, "The big one got away."  "I almost hit that big buck." or  "I almost missed that important meeting."  Near misses are not direct hits.  While we live in a society where almost is good enough; that's simply not true for the Christian.  People believe that Christ gave all but refuse to do the same thing.  "I'll keep that little part of my life to myself.  After all, I am not hurting anyone."  "I'll give up everything but my sports car, sports, and smoking and drinking."  Almost..except...but...not good enough.  I grew up not being good enough for so many people.  I wasn't good enough in school, at home, in work, relationships and I certainly didn't preform good enough to make first string on the basketball team.  Sometimes those same people evoke in me that feeling.  It's then that I need to remember most that to Jesus I am perfect in his sight.  He sees me as righteous because he has washed me with his blood.  He presents me to the Father as clean, acceptable and good.  Jesus doesn't know the definition of the word "almost."  The Father and the Holy Spirit don't know the meaning of "almost."  As Christ breathed his last, he said, "It is finished."  Not temporarily or conditionally, but for all eternity.  He finished the job. 
     Because we buy the lie that we aren't good enough, we back off on the try part of life.  We make it the excuse why we don't share Jesus with others.  After all, we can't preach what we don't live.  If I lived my Christian life under the rules of my life before him, I'd be dead or in jail.  Self destruction and hate and bitterness filled my days.  This took me to the place of being convinced that I could never succeed so I might as well be the bad guy everyone wanted and needed me to be.  Under the worlds system we are condemned by our heritage, our standard of living, the color of our skin and the things we have done.  Under Christ we are seen as the saint he created us to be.  The expectations of each are very different.  Because Christ has given us his life, why don't we take his life as ours?  We're asked to die to self and be born again in Christ.  Almost isn't close enough.  Put on Christ and live in Christ every day  It's always your choice.