Betsy was so excited to get home from school that she bounced up and down all the way in the front door of her house. “I had such a GOOD day at school, mom. It was amazing!”
Before her mother had time to ask Betsy about her day, quite another scene unfolded in the living room. Little brother Mikey pushed Betsy out of his way, and Betsy retaliated in the blink of an eye.
She pinched him, and he began to wail loudly. “OK, young lady. That’s it. Go to your room NOW. Right NOW!”
Mom wondered, How could things change from great to awful in a matter of seconds?
Betsy stomped her foot in defiance. “But Mo-o-o-o-om! My TEACHER said I was a GOOD girl. He even gave me a great big gold sticker to PROVE it. Mikey’s the bad one. Send HIM to HIS room!”
Mikey continued to cry loudly, now clutching his arm where his sister had pinched him.
Mom gathered Mike in her arms and turned to face Betsy. “GO to your ROOM. We’ll talk about this in a minute.” Seeing Betsy hesitate once more, mom pointed down the hall. “NOW!”
Betsy went, shaking her head and stomping all the way, muttering “It’s not fair” under her breath — just loudly enough to be heard.
A few minutes later, mom arrived in Betsy’s room. Betsy sat sulking on her bed, hugging her teddy bear. “OK, honey, let’s talk about what ‘good’ REALLY means, OK?”
Mom told Betsy how proud she was that she’d earned that big gold star. Then she lifted Betsy’s chin so she could look her right in the eye.
“Here’s the thing: ‘Good’ is as ‘good’ does. Do you know what that means?” Mom took her finger from under Betsy’s chin and waited for her words to sink in. “I think I get it, Mom. Does it mean that I have to ACT like a gold star kid?”
“Exactly. Betsy, we can say we’re good. We can even wave our gold stars around all over the place. But it’s what we do and say that matters most. Honey, do you know any good kids in your class who didn’t get gold stars today?”
Betsy thought a minute, then nodded her head. “Sure. Bobby sits right behind me. He always looks for kids who’re new or don’t have any friends. Then he plays with them and sits by them at lunch and everything. I think that’s REAL good. He has a real neat sticker on his book bag. Wanta know what it says? It says ‘I do because God does’. Cool, huh?”
“Sounds like he’s on to something, doesn’t it? What do you think your next step is, Betsy?”
“Well, OK. I know what Bobby would do, and I guess if I want to be REALLY good I need to go say sorry to Mikey.” With that, she went down the hall to apologize and kiss Mikey’s “pinch-owie.”
Romans 2:28 tells us, “It’s the mark of God on your heart ... recognition comes from God ... ” (The Message version)
Betsy learned an important lesson that day. What we say (and the “gold stars” we earn) are important. But what’s even more important is the way we live our lives. Our thoughts, words, and actions must all demonstrate the “mark of God on our hearts,” which we receive when we commit our lives in discipleship to Christ.
Human recognition is great; it makes us feel valued and appreciated. But, the most important and eternal recognition comes not from human beings, but from God. God created us in His image, and the applause of heaven rings out when we shine from the inside out with the light of God’s Holy Spirit.
Each of our days is full of “next steps” like the one young Betsy took that day. Each step we take should be that which makes us ever stronger disciples of the One who gave His life for us – Jesus, the Christ.
What “next steps” do you need to take in your life so your thoughts, words and actions all demonstrate your discipleship to Christ more fully?