Second Best In the Popularity Contest

This past week my work computer caught a virus that was spreading over our network. It is amazing that a good company, with 2,000 employees; a software manufacturer to boot, was not well protected against such a threat. Now I certainly understand why they chose a product that, in this instance, was second best. It was a financial decision. For the five or so months that I have been an employee, there have been no problems with viruses. But, the problem is deeper then choosing second best for anti-virus protection. It began with choosing the more popular route... using Microsoft operating systems.

Microsoft Windows is not the best operating system, it is simply the most popular. Think of it like this. The Ford Escort is the most popular car in the world, but do you ever hear anyone saying, "I can't wait to buy a Ford Escort." No, never! They choose them because they are cheap and for the most part do the job... for the most part. For sure there are better cars out there. (I should know, I own an Escort. and I have driven a couple of luxury cars.)

Here is the parallel. In our lives we often choose second best. We may have given into any number of popular beliefs. We might even use our own intelligence to rationalize our choices, or worse, twist a Bible passage to make it right. It is like that child that wants a bike, but continues to spend their allowance on candy. They never get what they want, the bike. The choices that we make everyday impact our future and our eternity. The deeper issue is really this, have we chosen what is popular; the Escort, because we didn't know that there was something more precious? No matter what options we put on our little Escort, it is never going to be a BMW or Mercedes.

Is it possible that what we have chosen in terms of a spiritual life, friends, work, finances and the things we do when no one is looking, are second best? Even if we have chosen the best, are we protecting it with the very best?