Don't settle for mediocrity

Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18).

The educational system of the United States used to be the envy of the world. Yet today, American students as a group lag behind those trained in many other countries, particularly in Europe and the Far East. American students spend less time on homework, study fewer foreign languages, and are overall less proficient in math and the sciences than their counterparts growing up overseas.

I think the problem is that we Americans have developed a culture of mediocrity. When I was young, kids were made fun of if they were too smart—no one wanted to be labeled the ‘class brain.’ Kids with learning disabilities were also made fun of, and over the past decades we Americans have worked hard to develop sensitivity so that we treat each other with respect instead of ridicule.

But things went off course. Because we don’t want anyone to feel like a failure, some schools are eliminating anything that might show excellence in a student’s performance. Instead of containing grades, report cards only list pass or fail. Ribbons are given to everyone who participates in an event, even if they finish last. In our eagerness to make sure everyone feels like a winner, we are removing any incentive to compete and excel.

Christianity has sometimes gotten suckered into this way of thinking as well. It is true that salvation is a free gift of God through Jesus’ blood shed on the cross. No one can earn access to heaven by trying hard to live a good life, because none of our sinful lives can ever reach the level of perfection that God expects. For this reason we need Jesus to make things right for us, which He has done freely for everyone. But the Bible does not tell us to take it easy now that Jesus has saved us. We are urged to strive for excellence. Paul compares the Christian life to an athletic competition: All athletes do their training with discipline. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize (1 Corinthians 9:25). Peter urges us to not be content with entry-level Christianity: he says grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

When you strive for excellence in being both a well-informed and active servant of Christ, you demonstrate how much you respect and love Him.