As good as it gets...

I was talking with a group and describing what it means to be a Christian. One of the misconceptions of being a follower of Jesus is that we have this big list of "do's" and "don'ts". It's as if instead of a relationship with Jesus, we live by some divine shopping list that's stuck on our fridge, "On your way to work, do nice things, treat people well, give money to the church...and don't forget not to smoke crack, have sex with people you're not married to and quit watching those filthy movies!"
I think the Jewish Proverb that says, "May you be covered with the dust of your rabbi's feet" is a pretty good way of illustrating what it means to be a Christian. To follow Jesus so closely that we're covered by the dust he's kicking up as we walk closely behind him...that's what it's all about. To simply walk with, behind, near...in the same general vicinity, as our Lord
I had a chance to wrestle an Olympic champion once. It wasn't pretty. I considered myself a decent wrestler, but in relation to him...I was a chump. In relation to the God of the Universe...I'm just a fallen, broken guy that thinks too much about myself and not enough about others. It's hard to be around Olympic champions and not yearn to be better. Conversely, it's impossible to follow closely the God of the Universe and not want to be a better person.
Jack Nicholson said it in As Good as it Gets, "You make me want to be a better man".
That's what it means to follow Jesus. He makes me want to be a better man. That's my list...."Don't forget to follow Jesus today"
Now maybe it's time for me to stop talking so much about it...and try and catch up.