Raise the Bar

There are many different kinds of contests. There are spelling contests, sports contests, Miss America contests, and so on. But life is not a popularity contest. Especially the life of a Christian who truly desires to please our Lord. Our journey here on this earth is not about popularity. If that were the case, then some of us would lose.

We would lose because our life goal and purpose is not to please our fellow man. Our primary purpose is to please our Lord God Almighty. And honestly, this viewpoint is not very popular.

Some will see this devotion to our Creator as an act of self-righteousness, a holier-than-thou attitude. Some who have this devotion will be treated unfairly, reputations will be damaged, and people will be hurt deliberately by brothers and sisters in Christ. There will be those who spitefully use you and persecute you. Trust and respect will be lost.

Christians should always try to be the example as Paul instructs Timothy in 1 Timothy 4.12. "(Let no one despise your youth, but) be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity." We are trying to "raise the bar". As children of God called out of the world, we must strive to maintain a higher standard with our lives, our speech, and the way we treat our fellow man, especially our brethren.

Jesus teaches in Matthew 7. 13-14:“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it." We are told that the way to eternal life will be difficult and few will find it.

Jesus also tells us in that same chapter, verses 21-23: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ "

Many believe that this is talking about denominations. I wonder if it is not talking about people who profess to be Christians, people who believe themselves to be children of God, but don't realize that they keep one foot planted squarely in the world.

I strive with my life to be able to face my Savior on Judgment Day to hear him say: ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; … Enter into the joy of your lord.’ Will you be able do the same?

I challenge you to RAISE THE BAR!

Balance

Balance requires examination of priorities. Our true priorities are not mere lists of activities completed or goals set, but honest reflections of our heart desires. What we consider important receives the most time, energy, attention and resources. The importance of right and balanced priorities is illustrated by the life of Martha.

Luke 10:38 Now as they went on their way, he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house.

Jesus knew that He was always welcome in the home of Martha. He often went to Bethany, to the house of Martha, Mary and Lazarus, and even spent His final week on earth there. Jesus didn't have to wonder if He was welcome in this home or if Martha was "ready" for His presence. He knew she was. Can He say the same about us?

Seeking God begins with recognizing who He is and then living our life for Him. If He is not Lord of all, then He is not Lord at all. For some of us, the problem is not that we lack a personal relationship with God. Our problem is that we are not "making room" for that relationship. Balance comes when we yield to His will in the everyday moments of life.

I have discovered that when my life and my heart get too crowded there is not enough room for God. An unbalanced life is too busy for God. It is so easy to relegate our spirituality to religious activities when all He really wants is to spend time with us. Do we have the heart of a seeker, one who lives each day aware of God's presence, His plan and His priorities?

We often surrender control of our life to unworthy demands dictated by a world that operates in "urgent" gear. We forget what is really important. The important rarely barges in while the urgent is always an offensive intruder. The important waits patiently while the urgent demands its own way, creating disorder and imbalance. Certainly, there are times when the important is also urgent - but we must learn to discriminate between the two. We wrongly conclude that a busy life is automatically a productive life and think that a full schedule will surely produce a full heart.

Are you ready to evaluate your life according to God's priorities? Determine the top five priorities of your life - right now. Take a deep breath and brutally examine your calendar and checkbook to see where you spend most of your time and resources. We can give lip service to what we think our priorities should be but until our daily schedule reflects those priorities, we are only "playing at life."