Would you enjoy watching football if there was no score? If the teams were simply trying their best, would you be entertained… or do you need a score? Would you play golf if there was no score… or would not having a score defeat its purpose? Someone should write an ode to the score because it means so much to us! How would who know who's getting ahead and who's falling behind... without a score? How would we know who's worth knowing and who isn't... without a score? Is “quality of life” scored by the neighborhood in which we live, the things that we own, the number of people who know our name, the number of people whom we love, the peace that abides in our heart? There has to be a score! Otherwise, how will we ever know if we, or someone else, is worth applauding, emulating, or adoring?
Sometimes we want our children to be our "score." If they attend the right colleges, pursue the right occupations, earn the right amount of money… we give ourselves a good score. Some men keep score of their manliness by the number of woman they’ve "known" and some women keep score by the number of shoes they own. Different people… give different points… to different things... but there's always a score! Otherwise, we would never really know how well we're doing as a man, woman, mother, father, son, or daughter, would we? And it's tempting to think that the same thing applies to our relationship with God. Some people believe that the extent to which God loves us... is revealed in the blessings we can show. Thus, if we're wealthy and healthy, God must be pleased with us, but if we're poor, addicted, or simply struggling to fit in, it's plain to see that we have not pleased God.
Good people have good things. Good Christians attend good churches. Good homes are orderly homes. God helps those who help themselves and people who help themselves please God. Every one keeps score. Every one needs a high score. It's as plain to see. Our scores are reflected in how we're doing and how we're doing is reflected in the things we own and wear, in the crowds we "hang out" with, and in the places we go. Everyone is keeping score, it seems, on our "goodness," our "attractiveness," our general "worth." Everyone EXCEPT GOD, that is!
Friends, here is the good news: God does NOT keep score! There are no scorecards in the kingdom. It's all about grace and nothing else. People of faith love their neighbors as themselves, they let their lights shine, they pick people up when they see them down- they do many, many wonderful things... for Christ's sake... but there is no score! For those of us who try so very hard to be good, this can be frustrating. People who color outside the lines should not receive an “A.” For those of us who worship decency and order, it doesn’t seem “fair” to throw the scorecards away. And it’s not! It’s NOT fair. Not at all… but it is Amazing Grace! Like the Psalmist said so centuries ago, “If you, Lord, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand?” (Ps. 130:3)
Good people have good things. Good Christians attend good churches. Good homes are orderly homes. God helps those who help themselves and people who help themselves please God. Every one keeps score. Every one needs a high score. It's as plain to see. Our scores are reflected in how we're doing and how we're doing is reflected in the things we own and wear, in the crowds we "hang out" with, and in the places we go. Everyone is keeping score, it seems, on our "goodness," our "attractiveness," our general "worth." Everyone EXCEPT GOD, that is!
Friends, here is the good news: God does NOT keep score! There are no scorecards in the kingdom. It's all about grace and nothing else. People of faith love their neighbors as themselves, they let their lights shine, they pick people up when they see them down- they do many, many wonderful things... for Christ's sake... but there is no score! For those of us who try so very hard to be good, this can be frustrating. People who color outside the lines should not receive an “A.” For those of us who worship decency and order, it doesn’t seem “fair” to throw the scorecards away. And it’s not! It’s NOT fair. Not at all… but it is Amazing Grace! Like the Psalmist said so centuries ago, “If you, Lord, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand?” (Ps. 130:3)
Questions to Ponder
Who is the most successful person you know? How did you reach this conclusion?
The most loving person you know? The best Christian you know? How do you know?
Does the picture of "not having a score" give you an image of freedom... or chaos?
How can Christ say, "Well done, good and faithful servant," if He doesn't keep score?
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