God Has Given You An A+ By Pete BriscoeSampel

Your final grade is an A+

Live your truth. Express your love. Share your enthusiasm. Take action towards your dreams. Walk your talk. Dance and sing to your music. Embrace your blessings. Make today worth remembering.—Steve Maraboli

Okay, confession time: this whole idea about getting an A before you even take the class? I didn’t make that up. A student named Robin, found herself enrolled in a really difficult English literature course. Certain that she was going to fail and that everyone else was much smarter than she was, she and her father went to the teacher to beg for a transfer to an easier class. As soon as the door was closed, she began to cry. The teacher said, “Robin, I know how you feel. What if I promised you an A no matter what you did in this class?” Robin couldn’t believe it, but agreed. The teacher opened up the class roster, wrote in Robin’s name, put a big A as the final grade, and said, “Now, get to class.”

I told my kids this story and they were like, “Dude. Where’s that teacher at my school, right?” I mean, who wouldn’t want to be in that class? Who wouldn’t want to be taught by that teacher? I would!

How does knowing you have an A before the class even starts change your experience in that class?

• There’s less pressure.

• There’s less bragging.

• There’s less competition.

• There’s less self- flagellation.

• There’s no fear of failure.

• There’s more joy.

• There’s more life.

• There’s more focus.

Why? Because for people with transformed hearts, there’s freedom.

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. (Galatians 5:1)

Leader of the Great Dance, I’m tired of marching. I’m tired of comparing myself to others and feeling either inferior or superior. I’m tired of being afraid of failure. Some days, I just want to give up and disappear into the crowd. By Your unchanging, unfailing Word, convince me that I have an A in Your class of life, not because of anything I have done, but because of what You did. Now set me free to learn like I have never learned before as we dance through this life. Amen.

Reflection:

1) Do you believe that there’s nothing you can do to make God love you more or love you less?

2) What’s getting in the way of you believing that He loves you this way?

3) How would you live differently if you believed you already had an A+ from God?

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