Reaching for His Highest

I fall back into my seat; stunned. After so many years of waiting, was this moment actually here? Scarcely breathing, I pinch myself, wondering if it is nothing more than a dream. But no, a sharp pain shoots through my arm from where the flesh has been stung. This is reality. I let out a deep breath. A slight smile illuminates my face. “I have done it…” I whisper. “I finally got a blog.”

Shocking, I know. I have considered starting a blog for several years, yet time (or rather the lack thereof) has consistently thwarted my plans. But now, as I finish my senior year of high school and begin preparation for college, I will naturally have much more time to write long, rambling articles that will most likely be read by only one other than myself (thanks, mom). Yet in this first post I shall keep my rambling to a minimum by simply explaining the purpose of this blog and the meaning of its title.

From the time I received Christ as my Master three years ago, He has gently been humbling me by showing me exactly what it means to be a Christian and revealing to me just how far I fall short. For as Christians we are called to follow and obey. We are to be like Christ; to imitate Him. This in and of itself is a huge mission. But I have come to learn there is even more to this calling than we immediately realize.

Many consider being a Christian to simply mean you don’t watch R-rated movies, must save sex for marriage, and go to church every Sunday. Yet being a Christian is so much more than following a list of do’s and don’ts. Having Christ in our lives should change our attitude; our perspective. Sadly, so many Christians (including myself), live a life as though we want to be as close to evil pleasure as possible without actually “sinning”. Yet we should be going the opposite direction, actively fighting to be as close as possible to purity and holiness. It is not enough to just say “no” to sin; we must crave and run after righteousness. This desire for what is right should permeate every aspect of our lives. It should affect what we read, watch, listen to, wear, say, do, and even think!

I hope that this blog will be a place where I can encourage others in their pursuit of godliness by sharing my daily journey of surrendering every facet of my life to the will of God. Each post will center around the mindset of raising our standards. Whether that be a biblical movie review, an essay on theology, or an article discussing what a Christian response should be to various cultural issues.

According to the world, I have extremely high standards. According to most Christians, I have extremely high standards. But according to God's standards, I completely miss the mark. To Him, my good is nothing but filthy rags. It is not enough to meet the world’s highest standard, nor Christian’s highest standard. We must Reach for His Highest.