When my wife was in high school, she participated in a number of track and field events. Her specialty was the high jump and hurtles. I could talk about the falls, scrapes and bruises, but I prefer to brag on her successes. An athlete has to train hours to be good enough to win the gold. He cannot be content in keeping up with the other athletes or even with his past achievements. He must continually raise the bar. If he was good enough to jump over a five-foot bar, he would raise it to 5 feet 2 inches. That is what Helen had to learn, and that is why there were bruises along the way. A winner must push past the pain of defeat and try again; never being content with mediocrity or the status quo.
Applying this to our spiritual life, I have found too many Christians lowering the bar instead of raising the bar. God has set the bar quite high. He said: “Be holy as I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:16) Wow, that is way up there. Looking at this high standard, many have lowered this standard to say: “Be sincere, for God understands.” Just because we can jump over the bar of being sincere and trying hard, doesn’t mean we have reached the goal. Paul, knowing that the bar was set high, said: “Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it on my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13-14)
Difficulties and even occasional defeats should not define us. God says we are more than conquerors in Christ Jesus. That is who we are. Because Jesus conquered sin and death, we can triumph in the victory He won for us at Calvary. I heard a preacher explain what “more than conqueror” means. He said it was like a heavy weight boxing match. The champ trains for weeks to meet his opponent. Millions of dollars are at stake. The winner takes all. When the day of the fight finally comes the two boxers enter the ring. They have ten rounds of heavy combat to see who will win. At the end of the match, the winner is proclaimed. He receives the golden belt and a check for more that a million dollars. When he gets home, he gives the check to his wife. His wife is “more than a conqueror”. She didn’t fight, but she received the reward of her husband’s effort.
Winners have increased authority and influence. A person with a high level of integrity is trusted by others. What he stands for sets the standard for others to follow. My father was known in his community as an upright and honest man. He served in elected positions for over twenty years and never campaigned for himself. His integrity spoke for him, and he was able to impact the educational system and government in the place where he lived. If he had lowered the bar, in his character, his voice would not be taken seriously. I know he was tested in this area, but he didn’t lower the bar to make it easier for himself. One day I came home from school and my dad was there. He always worked late, and I thought it strange he was home. I asked why and he said that he had been fired from his job. He explained that he was asked to lie about some financial claims, and he would not. This decision cost him 19 years of his retirement but being holy was more important that financial security.
By having high standards my father was continually blessed. People trusted him and sought his advice. I have found that what you do in moderation, others will do in excess. If you cheat a little, lie a little, resent a little, your children and others will do it a lot. Keep the bar high. Go for the gold. It will benefit your own life and all those that are looking on.
Scriptures to meditate on:
Jeremiah 12:5; Romans 8:37; 2 Timothy 2:5; Philippians 3:13-14