Everybody, Always

didn’t give As and Bs and Cs like I was used to in school. She gave the
students different letters. For example, an “M” means they mastered the
curriculum. A “G” means they were at grade level. My favorite grade, by
far, was for the students who hadn’t quite wrapped their minds around an
idea. Those kids got an “N.” Do you know what that stands for? “Not
yet.” Isn’t that beautiful?
Jesus doesn’t give any of us grades, and I’m grateful for that. He’s the
only one who ever loved people perfectly. None of us will ever get love
and kindness or sacrifice entirely right. We’re all just doing the best we
can. While I’ve never tried to grade my faith, if I did, I think there would
be quite a few areas where I’d give myself an “N.” As much as I wish it
were otherwise, I’m just not quite there yet.
What’s sad is I’m not quite there on a number of the things Jesus said
were the most important things to Him. For example, I get an “N” when it
comes to loving the people who are well intentioned but make following
Jesus feel like it’s a homework assignment to be completed during
weekend detention rather than a banquet with Him. I’m not quite there
with people who push others away from Jesus because of their behavior,
rather than drawing them in with love. This includes the ones who expect
to meet people at the finish line rather than realizing we’re all at the
starting line in our faith. I’m just not quite there yet in the way I deal
with people who have frustrated me or who slow me down. I also get an
“N” for being as loving and accepting of people I disagree with as God
wants me to be.
I don’t love God with my whole heart and soul and mind yet like He
asked me to. I think I do, but then I see how I treat people who are
different than me and it often looks like a guy who’s looking for a good
deal in his faith, rather than a guy who’s sold out to it. All of this said,
God doesn’t measure things the way we do and He doesn’t grade us on a
curve.
The first step is to realize even though we’ve got an “N” in Him, He is
over the moon about us anyway, and He’ll help us find the strength and