"Differing weights and varying measures—both are detestable to the Lord."
– Proverbs 20:10
Remember this line? “Do as I say, not as I do.” What a recipe for disaster! The athletic world is full of double standards. Some athletes get treated better than others. Freshmen don’t usually get the same privileges as seniors. Even coaches sometimes have double standards for their athletes. Many times a coach will say that players late for practice will be punished. How often is this enforced if the late player is one of the best on the team?
The Lord can’t stand double standards. He has set up a system in which everyone plays by the same rules. In Romans 6:23 we read that all sin leads to death. Nowhere do I read that a sin is OK for me, but not for you. God doesn’t play that way. He calls sin what it is and wants us to make it right with Him. He judges fairly every time. We get in trouble when we invent spiritual double standards. (Example: feeling grace will be extended to us, but the “other guy” will get his deserved punishment)
The only standard we should be living by is God’s standard. Society says it’s OK to live by double standards, but God says, “My way still works best” (John 14:6). How do we know if we are living a double standard? If we let our ways supersede God’s ways, I’m pretty sure we’re headed for trouble. If we keep Jesus first in all we do, His standard of living will soon invade every area of our lives.
Lord, I am sorry for the areas in my life in which I have been living by double standards—especially in my spiritual life. Please show me how to eliminate these double standards and create a clean heart in me. Amen.
