Not Good Enough

Bible Reading: Ephesians 2:4-9

“Okay, I’ll try again,” said Aurora. Turning, she jumped into the pool with a huge splash and swam for a short distance. Then she grabbed the side of the pool and gasped for air. She looked at her dad in dismay as she climbed out. “I give up, Dad.”

“Don’t give up. You’re doing better, sweetie,” Dad assured her as he offered her a towel. “Come on. Let’s take a break.”

Aurora and her father went to the concession stand, and Dad bought hot dogs, chips, and cold drinks. “Dad, you know my friend Quinn?” Aurora asked as they ate. Dad nodded. “She’s going to Bible club with me,” said Aurora. “Miss Amy always invites kids who want to be saved to trust in Jesus, but Quinn thinks she’s okay. She says she knows she’s not good enough yet, but she’s trying hard to do better and thinks she’s improving. How can I convince her that we’re not saved by being good?”

“Wow! Let’s think about it a bit.” Dad took a bite of his hot dog and chewed thoughtfully. “Does Quinn swim?”

Aurora laughed. “About like I do, and as you know, that’s not very good.”

Dad smiled. “Why don’t you ask her if she could swim all the way from California to Hawaii?”

“To Hawaii!” exclaimed Aurora. “Neither of us can swim even halfway across the pool!”

“Could Olympic swimmers do it?” asked Dad. “Could they swim from California to Hawaii?”

“I doubt it,” replied Aurora. “Even an Olympic swimmer would get too tired after a while.”

“Exactly,” said Dad. “The best swimmer in the world isn’t good enough to swim from here to Hawaii. If someone tried, they’d have to be rescued. And none of us is good enough to be accepted by God on our own. Everyone has sinned by doing wrong, and no one with sin can stand in God’s presence. We all have to be rescued—or saved—from our sins by Jesus.”

Aurora nodded. “I’ll tell Quinn again.” She smiled. “I’m sure she’ll agree nobody’s good enough to swim to Hawaii, and maybe this will help her understand that nobody’s ever good enough to get to heaven either. We all need Jesus to save us.”

-Holly F. Cepeda

How About You?

Are you trying to be good enough for God on your own? You may try hard to be good, but it will never be enough. None of your good deeds can take away your sin. That’s why you need Jesus to save you. He took the punishment for your wrongs by dying on the cross and then rose again so you could have eternal life! Trust Him to save you.

Today’s Key Verse: Titus 3:5 He saved us because of his mercy, not because of any good things we did. (ERV)

Today’s Key Thought:

You need Jesus