This morning as I got out of the shower I had a fresh thought. Perhaps it was the scent of clean that brought this on...I'm not sure. I was thinking about Paul's writing in Galatians 5. Do you ever think of your faith as a checklist of things to do and things to avoid? It's hard to completely avoid this in some form.

My temptation to do this is usually driven by my desire to measure myself. I want to know how I'm doing, how I compare to others, and if I'm being "good enough" for God. It really boils down to that I want to be accepted and I feel that way when I meet a certain standard. So what's your standard for "godliness"?

The people in Galatia struggled with this same question. We read in 5:18 that "But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law." In this chapter we learn that there isn't a standard that we have to meet...if so, we're screwed and I'm the bus driver. Paul tells that people to stop living up to a certain standard and start living by the Spirit. Basically he's telling them to throw the first grade star chart away and stop counting all the good things you do.

Okay, so just love. Jesus had the same message when he was asked about following the rules. He said it's simple...love God and love others in every way of your life. While it's not easy, the Holy Spirit will guides.

So where are you at with this? In a world that keeps score, are you willing to lose track to live? Tell me what you think.