CAN'T YOU JUST GIVE ME A BREAK!

I have shared a devo today over at the GATHERING AT THE WELL site. I am honored to be on a panel of writers for this great ministry that offers daily devo's. You will be blessed by the women over there. Check it out!

"Can't you just give me a break?" How many times have I heard that or even thought that myself. I can remember staying up until all hours of the night helping my son write a very important essay for school. He did the research, he took great notes, and now he poured everything he had into putting together this top-notch essay that was sure to bring him an "A." To his great disappointment though, the teacher did not recognize the blood, sweat, and tears that went into his paper. If the teacher had, my son would have gotten a grade slightly higher than a "C!"

"Why can't I get a break?" - was the question my son asked. After all nobody is perfect, right? What harm would it be if teachers just lowered their standards and just gave everyone an "A," just for effort!

STANDARDS
Well... there is a word that seems to be absent in our society's vocabulary today. I see more and more how our society has influenced our homes to have no standards, beliefs, or convictions at all! After all, nobody is perfect and we all mess up and life is too short to live within "boundaries." The entertainment world and news reports tells us that it is alright to lower our standards. They tell us this is what will get us ahead in this world. They scream at us to lower our standards!

In fact, some people are hoping that God will also lower His standard and allow them to slip into His good graces just because of their sincere efforts and their good intentions. But God cannot and will not lower His standard. The standard has been set.

ROMANS 4:5 "People are counted as righteous, not because of their work, but because of their faith in God who forgives sinners."

It may seem unfair or unreasonable that God will not lower His standard to allow for just a little sin...but to do this would make Him less than God. Jesus Christ gave His perfect life just so each of us could have a break, so we could have an opportunity to accept the standard that God has established for salvation.

What kind of standards are you teaching your family? Do you have boundaries in place in your home, at your workplace? Do these boundaries bring you closer to God or more like the world?

Next time you hear yourself asking, "Can't I get a break" ~ reflect on the break that each of us received on Calvary. We have a responsibility to place boundaries and live by standards, Godly standards, in our homes.

What is your standard for living for Him?