>> Progress >>

When I was in elementary, middle, and high school, I periodically received report cards. Important parts of these communications from my teachers were the Progress Report sections. Here, each teacher would provide an evaluation of the progress I was (or was not) making towards the goals in a particular subject or area. In one of the early reports I brought home to my parents, my first grade teacher, Miss Wilkins, wrote, “Norman talks too much in class.” I’m not sure what impact those words had on me. However, what I am sure of is that nobody I’ve known in the last 65-plus years would describe me as a chatterbox.

As an adult, I continue to receive Progress Reports, albeit in somewhat different ways. For example, twice a year, I see my dentist who gives me feedback on the health of my teeth and gums. Once a year, my primary care physician gives me a complete physical, letting me know how my heart, lungs, and body chemistry are performing relative to established standards.

What about Progress Reports for my spiritual life? One of the ways I do this is with my quiet times. These regular periods of time that I spend in God’s Word and in prayer can help me with attitude adjustments and course corrections that I need to make. For example, I may think I see a particular situation as clearly and accurately as an early morning reflection:

But, these times of focusing on God can help me realize my perspective may have been skewed by outside influences similar to the effect of midday breezes on a lake’s surface:

Upon reflection, I probably owe Miss Wilkins a big “Thank You !” Because without her Progress Report, I would probably still be just talking rather than listening and obeying.

Don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says.
Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.
For if you listen to the word and don’t obey,
it is like glancing at your face in a mirror.
You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like.

– James 1:22-24 (NLT)