Back to School

Pause

As followers of Jesus, we have committed to a life of faith and discipleship. We reaffirm this initial commitment with a fresh commitment to follow Christ each day.

Scripture invites us to choose today whom we will serve, whom we will follow. Will you follow Jesus today? Where might the Spirit of God lead you?

Listen

If anyone thinks they are important when they aren’t, they’re fooling themselves. Each person should test their own work and be happy with doing a good job and not compare themselves with others. Each person will have to carry their own load.

Galatians 6:3-5

Think

Comparing yourself to others is a recipe for disaster. My college roommate and I had the same scholarship, the same major, and took most of the same classes, so competition naturally followed. I always felt like I could never quite measure up to him. Just before graduation, the faculty awarded my roommate student of the year. I felt robbed, even after having a great college experience. I finished second, at least in my own mind, and second place wasn’t good enough.

Today’s Scripture could have taught me how to avoid my disappointment and hurt. Our standard should be the quality of our work, not how it compares with others. We can always find others doing better, who make us feel inferior, or those having a harder time, who we can use to boost our own egos. The good news is that God isn’t interested in these kinds of comparisons; instead, God invites each of us to commit to our best, resting in grace rather than fooling ourselves through vain rivalries.

Joshua Hays

Pray

Gracious Lord, thank you for seeing me through grace rather than through how I stack up with others. Forgive me when I fool myself through vain comparisons with other people. Help me instead to commit to giving you my best and then to rest in your acceptance and love. Amen.

Go

The seed that fell on good soil are those who hear the word and commit themselves to it with a good and upright heart. Through their resolve, they bear fruit.

Luke 8:15 (emphasis added)

May you bear fruit in this season of commitment to the Lord Jesus.