Making The Grade

Over the last few years, I have made several transitions, and we can all agree, especially with the pandemic, who did not? This particular series came out of several dry places in my devotional life. God revealed to me that though I spend a fair amount of time in the scriptures, I needed to spend some time on refreshment directly from the words of Christ and His promises. I felt like I was in the valley, and God led me to the mountain, the Sermon on the Mount. This was a transition in the life of Jesus. This was the beginning of a very public ministry where He laid down the footprint of what following Him as a disciple would look like. I came to realize I needed more time on the mountain… thus the title of the series.

My two favorite seasons are summer and fall. It would be hard for me to pick one over the other, but usually, summer wins out because I love the water and being outdoors. I can skip the yard work and head to the beach anytime; just call and ask me to go. However, summer brings revelation along with humidity. I am confronted with how much or little I did to prepare the yard for the warm weather. The yard would be overtaken if I did not use a pre-emergent weed killer. If I did not prune the trees properly, they would look scraggly and challenged. The same for fertilizer for the grass. The evidence will reveal whether or not I am a good gardener. The same goes for summer wardrobes. If I hit the treadmill and followed all the rules about fitness, bathing suits won’t be such a traumatic experience. Being in good shape or being a good gardener are some of life’s little challenges that I can fall short of and get discouraged. This is just a porthole peek into my world of self-awareness and self-examination. If I am not careful, this feeling of not making the grade can spill over into other areas. I feel like I am a pretty confident person and fairly well-balanced, but someone once said comparison is the root of all insecurity. Especially if we are looking through the wrong lens when we are comparing.

I don’t know about you, but if I get over-exposed to the sources speaking about what I should do for my health, how many books I should have read by now, what my house ought to look like, I can feel a sense of failure creeping in like the weeds in my yard. This can happen at church as well. There needs to be more hours in the week to volunteer for all the needs that present themselves. Then there is my attitude that sometimes seems intolerant to things like youthful inexperience or the stubbornness of aging. And loving my neighbor as myself seems radical and demanding. All these things can be revelational that I just can’t make the grade. And the truth is I can’t.

However, if I look at the words of Jesus, I can gain a new perspective that while it reproves and rebukes me of my failures, they can deliver me out of guilt and a sense of shame over my shortcomings. Jesus said He did not come to destroy the Law. This means He did not come to do away with the standard of good and throw the book of rules out the window. He came to reveal that He, Himself, was the rule book and that He alone is the only one who can live a perfect, sinless life. Often, we as Christians struggle in our devotional life to remember that the scripture is more than words on a page; it is something breathing and living. The beloved disciple John reminds us that the WORD became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:1-18). The Law was real and fulfilled in Him because He was the Word at the beginning, and He is the Law.

He also says that folks who pursue following the Law are to be commended. It is the moral compass for mankind. However, we are not to take prideful sense in that while we attempt to follow it, the following of it is what makes us a good person. I am constantly challenged by my selfish center that voices how good I am when I give to the poor or care for the needy. Or when I attend church or give to its causes. While these are good productive pursuits, they do not, in fact, make me a good person. The only goodness I can experience that will transcend all efforts is through a relationship with the only standard of perfection, Christ Himself. I know this disappoints folks who might think heaven is a lifetime homework plan that we can only guess about what a passing grade might be, but Jesus said, I came to fulfill the Law. This means He alone is the only one who could satisfy and surpass it because He was the perfect sacrifice that satisfied the scales of justice.

When I accept this as truth, then I am freed from the constant barrage of self-incriminating failures that I think make God reject me. When God looks at me, He sees the perfection of Christ because that’s what I am relying on. I can then be free to pursue goodness, recognizing the value God’s love has in the world while my value is in Christ alone and His love for me. Then the art of comparison of how good I am can be done away with, and I can live from the perspective of how great God is!

I don’t know about you, but this revelation that Jesus brought about the Law brings me so much peace. The unbelieving world would say seeing yourself as not good or a wretch that missed the standard of a Holy God is not good for our self-esteem. But I believe just the opposite is true. The self-esteem that comes from sharing and partaking in the redemption Christ offers is lasting; it cannot be taken from us. I don’t have to write the perfect blog, I don’t have to hit that note every time, and I don’t have to measure up. I need to pursue Christ Himself and His fellowship. Though the enemy comes to undermine my security and bring doubt about my sense of goodness, ultimately, it is resting in the fulfilled mission of Christ.

This was a hard blog, Lord. Fixing my eyes on your perfection and taking my eyes off my own goodness and achievements strikes me at the heart of my own ego. You are the author and finisher of my faith! You are the fulfillment of every promise God has ever made. Let every effort and pursuit of anything good I attempt to be done in your honor as an act of worship to the only one worthy. Jesus, it’s you!

Come back next time where the 5 o’clock worker continues in the series “Moments on the Mountain” ….Anger Management.