“As the Scriptures say, ‘If you want to boast, boast only about the Lord.’ When people commend themselves, it doesn’t count for much. The important thing is for the Lord to commend them.” — 2 Corinthians 10:17-18

When I compare my own life with others, I may not look too bad. But God’s standard is not just “good enough.” He expects us to be holy like He is holy and perfect like He is perfect. That’s an impossible standard.

Thankfully, through the blood of Jesus, we have been made perfect in God’s eyes. Holiness and perfection must be received from God and then He can commend us. Practically, we are all a work in progress. We become gradually more like Jesus if we remember all goodness that we can have is a gift of grace from God.

So, let’s be humble enough to admit that we need Him and receive His goodness, not just in the form of blessings from His hands, but in the form of correction and trials and testing, so that we can become commendable by the One that matters.

– Stephan van der Merwe

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