Well, it’s that time of year. Achievement tests!! Otherwise known as two weeks of angst that holds the power to sway the future. Besides all the hard work, it’s a lot of stress. Students’ scores can determine what classes are available to them. Will they stay in a regular class or could they take an advanced class? Students’ scores can also determine possible teacher advancement or bonus money. A teacher’s “effectiveness” is based, at least in part, on what scores their students make. So many possibilities riding on which little circle is “bubbled” in.
That got me thinking, what if our spiritual lives were put in a similar situation? What if you had to demonstrate how much you have grown spiritually once a year? How would you score? Would you increase, decrease, or stay the same? Spiritual growth is the idea here. We’re supposed to be advancing, growing, moving forward. Would you be able to “prove” something? Anything? How many circles could you bubble in?
And what about those around us? How would they score based on our influence on them? Are we a good teacher to them? Would we get a raise or promotion based on the amount of spiritual growth we caused in those around us?
It’s a wonderful thing that when God looks at us, He sees the blood of Jesus washing away all our sin, unrighteousness, and shortcomings. He doesn’t judge us. He doesn’t rate us. He doesn’t evaluate us. He loves us. However, because He loves us, He wants the best for us. He wants us to grow and mature, much the same as our hopes and desires for our own children.
One of the best things we can do for God is to learn and grow and be the best child of God we can be – whether or not we ever bubble in a test!
Until our next togethering,
love ya,
Bret
