Measuring Up

Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.

Romans 5:1

IN TODAY’S WORLD, men have to “qualify” in so many different areas of life. We have to make the grade for loans to buy a home. If we want a particular job, our skills and experience must measure up. Every sport known to man has a playoff system to determine which team or player is good enough to continue on to the championship.

There’s always a temptation to compare ourselves to others, whether they’re celebrities we’ll never meet or the guy next door. He’s got six-pack abs. He drives a better car. His children are so well-behaved (whereas we have to peel our kids off the ceiling when we go out to eat). Whatever the point of comparison, there’s always someone who seems to have it more together than we do.

One of the most comforting truths about the Christian faith is that we don’t have to measure up when it comes to our salvation. In fact, such a thing is impossible: It is by God’s grace, and God’s grace alone, that we’ve been saved. We can’t ever do enough, say enough, earn enough, or be enough on our own.

So get over yourself and stop making pointless comparisons.

When you try to stack up your life against someone else’s, the end result is that you’re living for yourself, your own dreams and desires. But if you trust the fact that God accepts you just as you are (not that He wants you to stay that way), you may experience an overwhelming, unquenchable desire to live for Him.

You’re worthy, so why worry?

BOTTOM LINE

You’ll never be able to measure up against everyone, but that simply doesn’t matter to your Savior.

Moment of Strength: Romans 5:1-11