SERVING GOD ON A CURVE?

 

 

                You remember those times in school when you’re teacher was getting ready to give you a test.  Everyone had already complained to the teacher how tough the lesson was leading up to the test.  And just when the test was being passed out, the teacher said the most wonderful thing for a student.  “This test will be graded on a curve.”  That was like sweet music to your ears.  Everyone remembers the curve.  If the highest score on the test was a 91%, that person would end up getting 100%.  If you scored an 82%, instead of receiving a B- you would end up with an A- instead (82/91=.901).  Subsequently, instead of being grade by the standard 100%, we are graded based on the performance of others in our classroom.

                We often do that with God don’t we?  We serve Him based on our own standards (God knows my heart).  Or we serve Him based on what society says (It’s okay to have a little fun).  Or we serve Him based on how society is (at least I’m not out killing people).  Or we serve Him based on our circumstances (I’m broke and unemployed & can’t give).  The main problem with these thought patterns (as well as many others) is that we are replacing The Standard with our own versions of it.  Another problem is that when we replace God’s standard of serving Him with our own, we not only fall into a pattern of not truly serving Him, but we blind ourselves to truly know how to serve Him.

                I watched a stand-up comedy recently and the comedian made the statement “I think I’ll get into Heaven on a curve because I make people laugh… I don’t know for sure but I’m just hoping.”  What a statement!  It’s one thing to know about Heaven and say you want to go there, but then plan to get there based on chance.  Why take that chance.  When I think back to taking those tests in high school on a curve, there was always one factor everyone had to consider.  It’s what I like to call the “Amos Factor.”  Amos was the student in class who mostly got straight A’s, had a 4.2 G.P.A. out of 4.0 (go figure!), and was later elected Valedictorian of your senior class.  In the midst of complaining how hard the lesson was, and even anticipating the test will be curved by not studying as hard, we still ignored the “Amos Factor.”  Low and behold when the test came back you find out that Amos earned a 100%, which means the curve is out the door.

                For this comedian, non-believers (even those who profess to be a believer but are not), and believers alike, Jesus Christ is our Standard.  He is our barometer and our measuring stick on getting to Heaven and serving Him.  First and foremost, the most important priority is to get to Heaven, and that is only done through Jesus Christ.  He let us know in John 14:6 when He said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  No one comes to the Father except through Me.”  This verse also applies to us serving Him.  He is the Way, there is no other way to serve Him except by Jesus’s standards.  He is the Truth, there is no other truth but God’s.  The Bible talks about those individuals living unrighteous and ignore God’s truth.  Paul tells us in Romans 1:25 about those “who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.”  And He is the Life, there is no other life that we model ourselves after.

                For non-believers, you can no longer ignore the truth that God has shown us.  Acts 17:30 talks about, “Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.”  You see God overlooked the ignorance of those who lived prior to Jesus coming, but for us there is no excuse.

For the believers in Jesus Christ, we can no longer serve God on a curve.  We can no longer live in the ignorance we had prior to accepting Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior.  1 Peter 1:14-16 tells us that “as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is Holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, “be holy, for I am Holy.”  We can no longer deny God the first fruits of our labors.  Malachi 3:8-9 says, “Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say ‘in what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings. You are cursed with a curse. For you have robbed Me. Even this whole nation.”  And by the way, tithe and offering are not the same thing.  Tithe is what God requires of His people.  An offering is what we give above and beyond our tithe.  So we cannot circumvent tithe to get to offering.  And as long as that continues to happen, we will be cursed with a curse.

                We can no longer ignore God’s teachings by not reading and studying His word every single day.  2 Timothy 2:15 says to “study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”  There is an old adage that says “what you don’t know can’t hurt you.”  That is not true.  Just because you don’t know the word of God doesn’t exonerate you from what it is you are supposed to do.  Why?  Because the word says so.  Romans 1:19-20 tells us, “Because what may be known of God is manifested in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse.”  God has already put in us what we are to know about Him.

                The good news is we can start today to serve God without the curve.  But not by our own power, but because of His grace.  No matter what we’ve done ‘His grace is sufficient’ (2 Corin. 12:9) to overcome anything we’re facing.  As a matter of fact, James 4:6 says, “But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”  So always remember to “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” (Phil. 2:12), “and do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and prefect will of God” (Romans 12:2).  So let’s get rid of the curve and serve God on a straight path, “Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it” (Matt. 7:14).  Are you serving God on a curve today?