“God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.” (James 1:12 NLT)
A friend of mine once told me that during the final semester of her senior year of college, she took a course Pass/Fail. What this essentially meant for her was that if she got anything except an “F” for the course, she would get academic credit. This is advantageous in some cases because the grade you achieve does not affect your overall grade point average (GPA). About half-way through the semester, my friend came to the conclusion that there was a distinct possibility she might not pass the class. If she failed, she would not have enough academic credits to graduate. She decided to make an appointment to speak with the professor during his office hours. While presenting her dilemma to her instructor, she disclosed that she was taking the course pass/fail. The professor admitted that educators were not normally aware of students who elected to do so. However, he promised her that if she came to all of the classes and showed an honest effort to learn, he would make sure that she would not fail.
My friend’s story somewhat reminds me of a company for which I was once employed. Throughout the year, each business unit was required to rate their performance in several key categories as either adequate or inadequate. The basis for the rating was that each key category had defining factors which when evaluated helped to assess whether the various units were performing as they should. Many of us who used the system were frequently frustrated because the process was not always objective and often laborious. Additionally, it repeatedly did not bring about the desired performance results because the organization was either unwilling or unable to pledge the human and/or financial resources which might have improved the end-result. I sometimes wonder if our faith journey isn’t all that different; we know that we are not always achieving the desired standard and we aren’t always ready or willing to commit.
When it comes to evaluating our relationship with God, we can sometimes find ourselves making a comparison with others. Unfortunately, it can become far too easy to relate our sins to those around us, justifying that ours most likely is not as bad as theirs. Seeing sin on a sliding scale is not much different than an educator who grades on a curve. Grading on a curve essentially allows the other test takers to set the standard rather than the instructor who developed the test. It’s different in our spiritual journey. Jesus took the test on the cross and got a perfect score. The rest of us pale in comparison and pass only because of His grace. Paul provides this counsel: “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect” (Romans 12:2 NLT). The apostle knew that Jesus was the only one who could ever score a one hundred percent on God’s test. It was perfectly clear to him that on his own he could never receive the passing score required for eternal life. My friend had to be sincere about her course so that she would be able and free to graduate. When we trust in Christ, looking to him as our example, we too will find victory. Then and only then will we pass the test.
REFLECTION: When it comes to your walk with Christ, have you ever paused to wonder if you are making the grade? In doing so, what is the basis of your source for comparison? How can you work on letting go of the things of this world and move more toward those that count for eternity? Are there ways in which you might be helpful in also engaging others to follow by your example? How would you help them to understand that life is a test and that we either pass or we fail?
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