My kids came up with an interesting competition the other day.  I really liked the thought behind the competition because it revolved around being nice to me.  One big problem: It also meant I had to judge the actions of my children and determine a winner of the competition.  This made me a bit uneasy because I’m not a fan of subjective judgement (think Olympic figure skating) especially when I am the judge, judging my own children.

The idea behind the “competition”?  Do nice things for Mom. Then Mom affixes a point value to said nice thing.  At the end of the day we add up the points to see who did the most and best nice things for Mom.

Before I could even give a thumbs up or down to the idea, my kids were off and running doing extra things for me that they would not normally do.  We were getting ready to get in the car and go into town, so my daughter brought me my shoes.  My son knows I can never find my phone (especially right before we are trying to hurry out the door), so he found my phone and brought it to me.  “Ok Mom, now can you give a point value to our kindness?”

Oh goodness!  I definitely didn’t want to squash their idea because they were being so kind but I wasn’t so sure about the competition.  I also wasn’t a fan of judging them.  It would be all hugs and smiles from the winner but I wasn’t sure what sort of surly looks I might receive from the one I did not chose as winner.  (I used to be able to pull of the, “You’re both winners!” bit but they don’t buy that anymore.  They want a clear winner!)  I explained to them that, while I really appreciated their kind acts, I didn’t think the competition would be the best idea.  I didn’t want to hurt either of their feelings.

“How about if we all do our best to be kind to each other,  including me being kind to you two?  We should find joy in doing things for others and be thankful when others do kind things for us.”  I wasn’t really sure how to stop the competition and just make it about being nice to each other but these words seemed to do the trick.  They were both satisfied with that answer…I think.  Although, I did tell them I would welcome any kind acts they wished to bestow on me, without judgement.  They just gave me that “Oh Mom” look and we headed out the door.

All this talk of competing to be the most kind person started the wheels in my brain turning (insert squealing and grinding sounds).  What if all people were in one giant competition of kindness with each other?  What if we were being judged on our acts of kindness in order to get into heaven!?  I like to think I’m a kind person but what if I had to go head to head with someone that was much more kind than me?  What if the person I stood toe to toe with at the gates of heaven was someone that never slipped up or said a cross word?  Someone who was perfect and sinless?  What if!?  I might not get in!

It is a scary thought but then I’m reminded of Ephesians 2:8-10.

8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. 

We are called to be kind to one another and we are created to do kind works through Jesus, but kindness and good works are not our salvation.  Our salvation comes through an amazing gift of God.

While, I actually do hope to stand face to face in Heaven with a person just like the One I described a few paragraphs above, I would never be able to compete with His kindness, goodness and perfection.  Even still, He will not be there to judge me or to compete with me.  He will be there to show me grace and mercy.  He will be there to tell me His grace is enough and just by my faith in Him I can enter heaven.  I am created to do good works in the name of the Lord but my good works and kind acts are not my key to the gate of heaven.  When the time comes, I can enter heaven because of a precious gift from God.

I am so thankful for that precious gift from God.  I am so thankful He paid the price for me and now, because of Him, I receive grace.  I am so thankful that in return, He simply asks me to believe in what He did for me.  I am so thankful for the champion and king of “The Kindness Competition”.  I am so thankful for Jesus!