Perfection

God is just never done with us. Ever.

If I can ever wrap my brain around that I will truly be free. 

Where did we even get it in our heads that we need to be perfect? Wait, maybe that's the wrong question. We should be seeking to be like Jesus every day and Jesus is perfect. BUT it's like we miss the part that says we can't obtain perfection here on earth. It's OK that we aren't perfect. The problem comes when we have too much pride to admit that we aren't. We can't be Jesus. End of story. Victory comes when we humble ourselves before the Lord and say mold me. When we say I want to walk with you every moment of every day just so that I can be more like You. 

We see this happen in life all the time. Little children, who do they imitate? Their parents, their siblings? Why? Because they spend so much time with them. Why do we worry about the friends our teenagers choose? Because we know they are going to be spending a lot of time with them and most likely they will behave similarly. 

So what's going to happen when we spend a lot of time with Jesus? We are going to start talking and acting like Him. It's going to show. If I walked every day like Jesus was physically with me all day, I bet often times there would be choices that were made much differently. But for whatever reason I ( and I doubt I am alone) often tend to invite Him in regularly when there is serious trouble (that I didn't cause or is far beyond my control) or when things are going really well. I don't invite Him in as often when I feel like I've messed up for the millionth time. When I told that little white lie to myself or someone else to get out of something because, well, I just didn't want to do what He needed me to do today. I don't invite Him in as often when I feel like I've failed because I want to be perfect just like Him and I can't bear His disappointment in me for failing Him, again. 

And my twisted way of thinking is so backwards in these times. I'm telling God I don't need Him, I'll fix it myself, He's going to be so proud, wait until He sees what I did for Him, all by myself. Whoa! Wrong! If I could just surrender my pride and ask for help. If I could just understand that Jesus takes me just as I am. If I could consistently walk with Him not just daily but by the hour and minute those fears of perfection that plague me are going to fall to the wayside. If I can learn to accept that I'm gonna mess up and it's OK, then watch out because mountains are going to move. If I can learn to hand Jesus my mistakes and repent genuinely, He's going to teach me from those things too. I know this because He already has in the past. There is not a thing I have gone through, and I've been through a lot, that Jesus hasn't somewhere along the way used as a lesson for me. And sometimes those moments I thought I had completely failed, are just the things that help me relate to someone else. Help me to show someone else they aren't a failure. I can be an example of bringing beauty from ashes, a mess into a message... Well, you get the point.

"And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28

There's a wonderful song I recently found that I just love. It's by Dara MacLean and the lyrics say:

All my life

Every breath

You are Lord

Every step

You take me to the mountain

You take me to the depths

You take me to the fountain

When I have nothing left

You lift my head

You are all I need

You are strength

Never failing

You are all I seek

You alone are enough

In You I'll live

In You I'll stay

By your word

Light the way

These words are my prayer, that I would know Jesus is all I need. That I would seek His perfect plan and understand His goodness, grace, mercy and power just this way.