Report Cards

I remember handing my report card to my parents when I was young. Sometimes it felt good; sometimes it didn't. Recently while reading my daughter's school progress report, I was reminded of my father's report card (that I still have) from his elementary school days in the late 1920's. In addition to the usual subject areas, deportment -- not a word we use often today -- was measured. But in days gone by, behavior and behavioral attitudes were worthy of a grade. I chuckled as I read that my father (and a future godly pastor) once received an "unsatisfactory" in deportment.

What we measure gives evidence of what we value. George Washington and Benjamin Franklin desired personal evaluation even after their formal education, by penning definitions of proper conduct. Washington wrote "Rules of Civility and Etiquette" and Franklin wrote "Thirteen Virtues". Their writings gave standards for deportment -- a "report card" -- a self evaluation that could have been quite revealing.

Spiritually the same is true. When we answer "yes" to Jesus' offer of eternal life, the journey of faith has just begun. Faith, however, is not measured as "A,B,C or D" like our educational report cards. God is the only one who can evaluate the essence of the heart. But could we use Micah's words as a basis for our spiritual report card?

". . . .and what does God require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." (Micah 6:8b NIV)

Our spiritual report card? What we measure gives evidence of what we value.

Sharing the journey with you,