Sermon Illustrations
BEST - ENEMY OF THE GOOD
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FROM THE PASTOR'S DESK. . .
Recently I came across an intriguing statement "The good is the enemy
of the best—and vice versa." I have been trying to see how this idea
might apply to me and to this church.
It seems to me that the good is the enemy of the best when we are
satisfied with the good and don't go onto try for the best. If I
say I have a good relationship with my wife, or I am doing a good
job in my work—and I am satisfied, simply because it's not bad, then
that goodness is the enemy of the better life I could lead, I think
the same can be said of all my relationships, and can be applied to
groups, such as church groups and the church as a whole as well.
But the best can also be the enemy of good, especially if we think
of the best ideally instead of the best possible. I find that I get
discouraged and depressed when I try to look at perfection as a goal.
I know perfection is impossible and I don’t try as hard to do the best
I can do. So "The Best" (perfection) becomes the enemy of what I
might do because it discourages me.
I believe that the statement can be helpful to us by making us aware
that even the good and the best can be our enemies just as bad and
evil can. We need to find ways to "fight" the good when it prevents
us from doing better and to "fight" the "best" when it keeps us from
doing more good.
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by David W. Abbott, Covenant Presbyterian Church, November 1981