Let's Start Over

You may have noticed in the news last week that the State of Florida gave a new standardized writing test to students and the scores were less than stellar. In fact, they were awful. A reported 27 percent of fourth-graders had proficient scores on the test. That was down significantly from last year’s 81 percent.

State education officials panicked and decided that the best thing to do was to lower the passing score on the test. Did you catch that? In order to make sure that students succeeded on the exam, the passing grade was lowered.

My first reaction was, “Where was that rationale when I was a student?” I could have used a boost in several classes…History, Algebra, English, Biology, Physical Education. Okay, basically every class I took. Now, however, I’m glad to say I did get the grades I got on my own merits, without the entire state having to step in and save me.

But this got me to thinking. If a state can reconfigure such things and they are accepted as fact, I’ve got some revisions I would like to make. I am now six-foot four, a solid 210 pounds. I shoot 18 holes of golf consistently in the low 80’s. I now possess the oratorical skills of Winston Churchill and can dunk over Tim Duncan on his best day. Ladies swoon over me, boys want to grow up to be me and dogs follow me, wagging their tails. Yes, life is good…if the state will say so.

It doesn’t work that way, does it? We can’t just lower standards or elevate our accomplishments just because, well, just because. A low score on a test is still a low score no matter what some entity may decree.

God’s Word tells us in Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians that each man’s work will become evident. He was speaking in terms of working for the Lord, but the connotation is still relevant in our personal lives. We are called to give our very best, and should that fall short of someone else’s ideal, then God will still bless it.

We can’t all be perfect. In fact only one person was and they crucified Him. Let’s simply give our best and do it for God’s glory. That should be enough.