The scriptures aren’t kidding when they talk about a gulf of misery separating the wicked from the righteous. You can drown in it or you can be carried across it. And I’m not going to go into detail about what the scriptures say about either option. I’ve done that in other posts. This post is just to share a few thoughts about an experience that I had a couple of days ago.
It’s nice that the Lord gives me report cards—certain experiences where he details how much progress (or lack of progress) I am making towards him. When crossing a gulf, it’s a good thing to frequently assess your location and direction and, knowing that it can be a dangerous journey, I ask the Lord to do this for me often.
Report cards are intended to make someone aware of their location—where they are at in some journey of improvement. It highlights the progress the student is making and also what needs improvement. A few months ago, the Lord gave me a report card and it was a little discouraging because, while I could honestly say that I was doing my absolute best in regards to the information he had given to me thus far, I wasn’t able to advance to the place I wanted to be—to have the experiences that I wanted to have—because there were things that I needed to understand first. That felt like a serious punch to the gut, but I’ve learned that the Lord is never wrong when he hands you that report card, even if you think you have reasons to disagree with his assessment.
Over the course of the last few months, he has taught me so many things, using so many people and things that he has placed in my life, that I couldn’t possibly begin to make an account of them all. And then, a couple of mornings ago, he showed me something about himself that I never could have understood without learning the things he taught me. More than that, he gave me a clear understanding of the degree to which I had acquired the characteristics that he had shown me about himself and how I would not have been able to get to that point without first submitting to the instruction he knew I needed.
I don’t know how to convey in words what it is like to be handed a report card like that. You might think that it would give someone a big head, but it doesn’t. It is very humbling. You are immediately aware of his love for you, you love him in return, and you are forced to admit that you never could have progressed to that point without him.
Anyone who tells you that you cannot become like God is a liar. There is a way to do that. He is the way. He shows it to you. And when he hands you that report card (even the “bad” ones)—when he shows you where you are on that journey—you don’t feel so disoriented in the middle of that gulf. You instantly feel his guidance and direction and love in ever-increasing degrees. The only thing better than that report card is the next one.