34-28 February 6, 2017

²¹ Whoever pursues righteousness and kindness
    will find life, righteousness, and honor.
Proverbs 21:21 ESV 

Last night's Super Bowl was one for the ages.  The Atlanta Falcons appeared to have the game well in hand.  At the end of the third quarter, they held a commanding 19 point lead, 28-9, over the three-point favorite New England Patriots.  But over the next 15 minutes of regulation time, through a series of Falcon missteps and Patriot wonder plays, New England outscored Atlanta 19-0, resulting in the first ever Super Bowl overtime game.

New England won the overtime coin toss and elected to receive.  Five plays and 71 yards later, the Patriots had capped their remarkable comeback with a game winning touchdown.  Cue the confetti, screaming, and phalanx of reporters descending on the field.

All the great plays of the Atlanta Falcons mattered naught.  The Tom Brady sacks and New England missed extra point kick in the third quarter were irrelevant.  All that mattered now was the final score.  The only two important numbers were 34 and 28. 

I am thankful that my life as a Christian is not viewed as a win-lose proposition.  Each day would find me feeling as dejected as the Atlanta Falcons must have felt last night.  Regardless of the number of Bible pages read, minutes spent in prayers, and small groups attended, I will continue to sin as long as I have breath.  Some days will be better than others.  Frequency and severity will decrease, but there will still be spiritual missteps.  Words spoken in anger.  Actions that displeased my Heavenly Father.  

In the seventh chapter of Romans, Paul wrote, "For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing." Romans 7:18,19 ESV

The writer of Proverbs tells us that if we pursue "righteousness and kindness" we "will find life, righteousness, and honor."  Sinless and perfect are not requirements.  God examines our heart, our desire.  Do we desire to sin less each day?  If our goal one of Christ-likeness?


In the Super Bowl, effort is not rewarded unless your team scores more points than your opponent. The final score is all that matters.  But Christians are saved, not perfected.  God does reward effort. He is pleased with growth.  Even though all believers will eventually be clothed in perfection, that is not an earthly possibility.  

Set a goal for each day to be better than yesterday.  Anything less is inexcusable (I don't like "inexcusable".  What else might work?)  Anything more is unattainable.