My daughter is currently in 4th grade, and as she grows older, her academic tasks are becoming increasingly difficult. Math, reading, and writing are becoming more intricate and sophisticated. Currently, we are in the social studies fair season, and it brings back memories of my own anxiety and dread. I am realizing it’s not a picnic as a parent, either.
Recently, she came home with a paper saying she had made it to math field day as an alternate. This came with a mix of emotions, rightfully so. There was excitement that she had made it through with a high score and had sort of qualified, but there was also disappointment. Going into the day of the qualifying test, she thought she was good. She was confident in her math skills because she had consistently been one of the top students in her class. Unfortunately, sometimes we just fall short, and good just isn’t good enough.
This past Sunday, Pastor Josh spoke about how we are apt to not be totally truthful with assessing ourselves. A number of us would quickly agree that we are a “good person.” If we look at our lives as a whole, compared to others, we feel like we are doing good. On the other hand, a number of us would say that we aren’t good—we feel like a failure, or we have made too many mistakes. You can probably place yourself in one of those categories, but the truth is, we are both. We are worse than we realize, but we are also more loved than we think.
Recently, she came home with a paper saying she had made it to math field day as an alternate. This came with a mix of emotions, rightfully so. There was excitement that she had made it through with a high score and had sort of qualified, but there was also disappointment. Going into the day of the qualifying test, she thought she was good. She was confident in her math skills because she had consistently been one of the top students in her class. Unfortunately, sometimes we just fall short, and good just isn’t good enough.
This past Sunday, Pastor Josh spoke about how we are apt to not be totally truthful with assessing ourselves. A number of us would quickly agree that we are a “good person.” If we look at our lives as a whole, compared to others, we feel like we are doing good. On the other hand, a number of us would say that we aren’t good—we feel like a failure, or we have made too many mistakes. You can probably place yourself in one of those categories, but the truth is, we are both. We are worse than we realize, but we are also more loved than we think.
| Unfortunately, sometimes we just fall short, and good just isn’t good enough. |
For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.
| — Romans 3:23-24 |
Although failing to go to math field day is disappointing, it pales in comparison to missing out on eternal life with God. It's impossible for us to be perfect on our own, as we all fall short at some point. However, there's good news. God has provided a solution for our sin problem through Jesus. He died in our place for the wrongs we've committed and rose from the dead, defeating sin and death. We can find hope and redemption through Jesus. Let us strive to assess ourselves honestly, recognizing our need for a Savior, and turn to Him for forgiveness and grace.
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