What is "good"?

"We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise." 2 Corinthians 10:12

If you have ever run a race or participated in a competition of any kind, you may have been good enough to receive a trophy. By God's grace, I have received a few myself... but the thing is, every time I have qualified to receive one, it depended not on how fast or "good" I was but by how fast my competition wasn't. When you compete, your finish is dependent on who you race against. In other words, you are measured against the best runner there not a perfect one. The 9 minute mile that got you first place one day might not even qualify you for second place the next week. The trophy and acknowledgment from others can then give us a false sense of how "good" we really are. 

The same is true in our spiritual lives. We don't have to be the best to be first in the eyes of others or ourselves, we simply have to be better than those around us. You might think you are doing really well when you compare yourself to Sally Jones who is in an adulterous relationship or better than Tom Smith who has a problem with pornography. But how good are we really? And by whose standard are we measuring ourselves? Matthew 5:48 says, "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect." God demands perfection, not simply being better than others. Setting the standard by any other measure then is "not wise".

By whose standard are you measuring yourself today? Is it by the level the world has set or God's? As followers of Christ, the standard is not reached by simply being "good", we are measured against Him who "is perfect". Let us run the race focused on Christ, imitating his every step, and the ultimate trophy of eternal life.

Heavenly Father, thank you for setting a standard that will never change. How the world views someone as "good" changes constantly. Thank you for being the same yesterday, today and forever. Lord, we know that we will never be perfect this side of Heaven but give us strength to pursue being imitators of you and the goal of perfection all the days of our life. It's in your precious name we pray, Jesus. Amen. 

Happy Running!!!

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Ready, Set, Go - Capital Kings
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=toCKscre-qE