When A Failed Test Deserves A High Five

My daughter who has been known to thrive on perfectionism brought home a failed test the other day. She responded so well to it that I high-fived her! Now that probably sounds preposterous to high-five your kid for failing a test. I mean, it was a bombed test, not one question was answered right. However, she responded well and accepted responsibility for it. That made me so happy. 

I was happy because I saw growth in what really mattered. Her heart did not see her worth in her performance. She did not let performance define her. This, my friends, is progress. The only way we will learn how to work toward excellence is by taking chances and while we take those chances we will at times fail. However, when you fail there is only one way to go and that is up. This was a great moment for us.

I am accused at times for over spiritualizing things and well if that is the case so be it. As we live and move and breathe in Christ, His Holy Spirit indwells us so everything should be looked at through spiritual eyes. He came down for us so when He opens our spiritual eyes let us not be blind but use them.

There will always be tests. Tests that contain material that can easily be learned. This is really not a big deal, however, our hearts will always battle idols like perfectionism and what others think of us based on our performance. These idols are sneaky and the more we deal with them the better off we are. You see, when we deal with them as lies then replace our thoughts with truth we will indeed thrive.

Truth says;
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do," (Ephesians 2:8-10).

There is nothing we can do to separate us from God's amazing love for us. We never have to work for it.

"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:35,37-39).

Now please do not take this as me saying you shall be slack in your work. The truth also speaks clearly on this issue;

"So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God," (1 Corinthians 10:31).

"And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him," (Colossians 3:17).

"Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ," (Colossians 3:23-24).

As followers of Christ we should work hard and up to our best, however, not for the reason of pleasing others or even pleasing God, for we already have fully pleased Him in Christ. He is delighted in us even when we are lazy. We are fully accepted performing or not because of Christ's finished work on our behalf on the cross. Now that should spurn your heart. For He is so good to us. We are free in Him. That is the most important lesson I want my daughter to learn--freedom in Christ alone.