We were working on a new boat that was being built, doing the planing of the hull. My arms were getting tired, and  I felt I had done enough. So I said, “That’s near enough, I’m finishing”. My brother in law looked at me and said, “Near enough is not good enough!”

So I kept going.

   But you know, that comment has stayed with me for over fifty years, and I find that it applies to so many things in life. There is the satisfaction of seeing a good job completed, because near enough is not good enough. Near enough doesn’t guarantee a lasting  finish to whatever job you are doing.  In sewing a garment, near enough doesn’t make it fit properly; and in putting a jig-saw puzzle together, a piece that fits near enough without slotting in perfectly, does not make a good picture.

   It is the same with spiritual things. Near enough is not good enough, and as far as eternal things go, near enough will not suffice. Many people  miss out because they have thought they were good enough, and that this was near enough, but they have forgotten that God has the last say. He says that ALL have sinned and come short of His glory, and our “near enough” does not guarantee a place in His heavenly home. So let’s make sure that our “near enough” becomes the perfect finish and then we will have the confidence we need to meet our Maker.