Keeping Score

       One of the most frustrating things that I do in life is to compare myself, my talents and even everything I own to that of others.  What I usually find is that me and mine rarely measure up to what others have.  You know that, “The grass is always greener on the other side.”           

     Can you see what I get caught up in here?  I have a problem with “keeping score” on life.  I’m constantly comparing what I have and do with others of my choosing.  With some, I end up the winner.  With others, I come out the looser.  This scorekeeping on life usually ends up with the dual failures of arrogance (for the winners) and discouragement (for the losers).  Both are contrary to what God desires for our lives.   

     The biggest problem with keeping score on life is that there are forces and blessings out there that we can’t see.  God has things in place in our favor that we can’t comprehend.  And when we are caught up in keeping score on life, these countless blessings and talents and abilities usually end up not being counted or considered.  The score we get, then, is totally distorted (check out 2 Kings 6:16-17).

     One of the “scorekeepers” mentioned in the Bible is the prophet Elijah.  He told the prophets of Baal and Asherah that they numbered in the hundreds and he was "the only one" (1 Kings 18:22).  But Elijah’s score was wrong!  He had just heard from Obadiah that there were 100 prophets being hidden in caves (that makes 101 more than just himself).  He wasn‘t the only one!  And when Jezebel took out a contract on his life, the score seemed so stacked against him that he ran away and asked God to end it all.  Only after his encounter with the true nature of God did he find out that there were 7000 more faithful people that were right under his nose (1 Kings 19:18)! 

     Why didn’t Elijah notice these 7,101 others?  Why did he think that he was the “only one”?  Did he consider them unworthy because they weren't as openly standing for the truth as he was?  Or had he become so busy keeping score (with faulty data) that he fell victim to two of Satan’s weapons.  Scorekeepers are always in danger of (1) distorting the truth leading to arrogance and (2) cowering in fear due to being discouraged. 

     Do you know some “scorekeepers” in your life?  Are you one?  Has Satan had a field day causing you to be distracted and tempting you to distort the real score.  Just keep in mind two things when you are tempted to keep score in life.  (1) God is a scorekeeper too.  The good thing about that is that He knows the correct score and He always comes out on top, so stay on His team and don’t quit.  And (2) remember a quotation attributed to Andrew Jackson:  “One man with God is the majority.”  Consider that truth whenever you’re tempted to “keep score.”

Doug