ENCOURAGEMENT FOR THE DAY

IN PROPER PROPORTION

The story is told of a young man named Peter who attended the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. An art-student friend of his asked if he could paint Peter's portrait for a class assignment. Peter agreed, and the art student painted and submitted the portrait, only to receive a C minus (C-).

The art student approached the professor to ask why the grade was so poor.

The teacher told him that the proportions in the painting were incorrect. The head is too big," the professor explained. "The shoulders are too wide, and the feet are enormous."

The next day, the art student brought Peter to see the professor. He took one look at my Peter and said, "Okay, I'll change your grade to an A minus (A-)."

Art students know the importance of keeping things proportioned properly. It's also a challenge to those of us trying to live the Christian life. Jesus was the master at keeping everything balanced in his life, but most of us struggle with it. It doesn't help that the world will always see our values as being way out of proportion, because they don't understand that we are modeling our lives after someone with values unlike their own.

"He who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk just as He walked."

(I John 2:6)

May God bless you as you seek daily to model your life (and proportion your priorities) after Jesus Christ.

Have a great day!
…..Alan Smith, Helen Street Church of Christ, Fayetteville, North Carolina (alansmith.servant@gmail.com) by way of “Christian Voices” (www.ChristianVoicesWorldwide.net)