The Standard

A few years ago, one of my daughters was struggling with the standards that Shorty and I, (and God in His word, through us) set for her. She would even make comments like, "Sometimes I wish Jesus wasn't the King." When we asked her why, her response was, "Because I don't like Him telling me what to do." During this time, when I had to correct her, she would stab back at me saying that I didn't do the things I was telling her to do. If I told her not to yell, her response was, "But YOU yell at us!" If I told her to be kind, it was, "YOU weren't kind when you were talking to Daddy last night!"

The first few times this happened, I was unsure how to respond... so I acknowledged that she was right. But later I realized that I was not the standard to which she should be comparing herself. And I told her so. The next time that she threw my own sin in my face, I calmly replied that, yes, I am guilty of that sin. But that I was NOT her standard, Christ is. Then I asked her if Christ had committed that sin. I got a reluctant no.

I've said before that I learn the most about God, and myself, and my relationship with Him, through parenting. This has been no exception. Now when I am tempted to compare myself to others, I am drawn to Christ. Christ is the standard of perfection.

Now it was not to angels that God subjected the world to come, of which we are speaking. It has been testified somewhere, "What is man, that you are mindful of him, or the son of man, that you care for him? You made him for a little while lower than the angels; you have crowned him with glory and honor, putting everything in subjection under his feet." Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him. But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering. For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers, saying, "I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise." And again, "I will put my trust in him." And again, "Behold, I and the children God has given me." Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham. Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.
Hebrews 2:5-18