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Daily Devotional – Spiritual Standards

By September 21, 2016Daily Devotionals

SPIRITUAL STANDARDS

Prayer: Thank You for encouraging me today, dear Lord. Please use me and the qualities and the personality You have given me to make a difference in someone’s life.

Scripture: Exodus 19:5-8 ‘Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; 6 and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the sons of Israel.” 7 So Moses came and called the elders of the people, and set before them all these words which the LORD had commanded him. 8 All the people answered together and said, “All that the LORD has spoken we will do !” And Moses brought back the words of the people to the LORD. NAS

All of us operate under sets of standards. Educators have to plan under sets of state academic standards that each teacher is expected to teach in order for the student to master what they need to know before moving on to the next grade level. We have to meet health standards, safety standards and economic standards. Our school sets dress standards, discipline standards, and so on.

Unfortunately we see students pushing the limits, if not disregarding them all together. Shorts get shorter, tank tops, t-shirt logos, disrespectfulness that has led to entitlement and even attitudes of, “the rules do not apply to me.” How do you handle these situations? Has your school adopted a, “pick our battles” attitude or do they truly hunker down and discipline every student who violates the rules? Are there “favorites” who get away with more than some others? What status do some students hold that causes staff and administrators to, “look the other way?” What are the results? Do you ever feel like you spend more time “policing” and less time teaching? How are teachers who enforce the rules treated – with more respect or more push back? Why? Why do students break the rules? Is it because they are rebellious by nature? Do they disagree with the rules or just fail to see there relevance or value? Do they try to justify their decisions as if they have a choice in the matter? Do they refute that you have authority over them? What problems have these situations caused at your school? Is there a bigger impact? What are the consequences?

God has set spiritual standards for His people. It is important to remember that they are for us, His followers, and that is where accountability begins. We tend to point our finger at the secular world, the non-believers, and judge their lack of moral fiber but God has called us to live by His standards and to spread the Gospel. Instead we have become really good and expressing what we stand against. Unfortunately, the statistical facts speak against us and show that Christians participate almost as frequently and in some cases more frequently in the things we protest the most, viewing of pornography, adultery, divorce, alcoholism, and more. What are some spiritual standards you can name from Scripture? If God says, “Do not” what does that mean to you? If God says, “Do it” what does that mean to you? Are we as guilty of slacking off on God’s standards as our student’s are towards school standards? Why? What are the immediate consequences? What will be the eternal costs for us and for others? How does a world of unbelievers respond to our lack of obedience to the Mighty God we say we serve? How do we try to justify our disobedience? Share what this means to you personally and what you know needs to change.

It is my heart’s desire to encourage you each week, to leave you lifted and gifted with love and appreciation, but Scripture tells us that love disciplines. In your journey to know God and make Him known we cannot dilute, pollute or refute Scripture’s do’s and don’ts based on our own preference and comforts. God calls us to be holy, separated from the world for His name sake. He calls us to be righteous and we have to pause here to see where we trade what is righteous for what is ridiculous. We can see it so clearly in our students; today we must pray that God opens our eyes so we can see it in ourselves.

Copyright Kathy Branzell. Email [email protected]

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