Have you ever felt the need to be “perfect”? Or to, at least… “appear” perfect?
Have you ever found yourself tiring from striving to “get there”… and yet, no matter how hard you try, you just can’t seem to get there?
And then you come to this place…“I just don’t add up. I’m just not enough. I just can’t seem to get ‘there’ no matter how hard I try.”
Striving for “perfection” of our own can become an unhealthy obsession, right? It can turn into insecurity, jealousy, bitterness…
I’ve been there. I find places in me that attempt this in my own “strength” sometimes. At times it can be a constant, “oops, I’m trying for that again, aren’t I?”
Here are some kinds of things I have pondered in my life:
How do I accept that I am “imperfect” and at the same time, live a life that is honorable and pleasing to God? How do I be “okay” with my imperfections, the things I cannot do well, and still live a disciplined life, and do my best… without letting that turn into “obsessive striving”…?
The only possible answer is Jesus. ☀️In Him, we can have freedom from these kinds of ways. Amazing grace… ?
“For by the one offering He has perfected forever and completely cleansed those who are being sanctified [bringing each believer to spiritual completion and maturity].”—Hebrews 10:14 AMP
Here is an interesting quote…
“This is the very perfection of a man, to find out his own imperfections.” —Augustine
None of us are “perfect”…
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…” —Romans 3:23
But the beauty of that is this…
Our “imperfection” leads us to the One who is perfect —Jesus Christ.
“And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him…” —Hebrews 5:9
“He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high…” —Hebrews 1:3
His perfection has covered and “perfected us” in our imperfectness, in our shortcomings…and at the same time, He is “perfecting” us, He is taking us through a life that is taking us through a “perfecting” or “transformation” process, taking us from glory to glory.✨
“Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.”—Philippians 3:12
So, “I’m not”….. but, in Christ…”I am” ?☀️
The beautiful thing that we can rest in is this: When we are covered in the perfection of Christ, we are already seen by our Heavenly Father as “perfect”…. and there is something about the way that He takes us through this life that is “perfecting and purifying us” at the same time.☀️
“…which is Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27)
“And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.” —2 Corinthians 3:18
His Word says that He is doing this in us…. there is no need for us to take it upon ourselves to strive, or to dwell in frustration, or to dwell in condemnation because we feel that we are lacking from our weaknesses…. because we can know, that while we are “perfectly imperfect” right now, we are already made perfect, and seen by our Heavenly Father as perfect, in Christ.
We do not need to strive toward a “perfection” of our own, because we dwell and rest in His perfection. The only “true” perfection. ?And He alone can do a miraculous work in us that will transform us and purify us. But we have to let Him take us there…
There is nothing we can ever do in our own strength, in our own desire for perfection, or for the appearance of perfection.
Thank You, Father, for working all of this out for us, that we may be perfected, in Christ. That we can rest in the hope we can have in Him, and we can throw away any kind of “striving” for any kind of “perfection” we would ever like to have of our own. The answer is only You, Lord Jesus.
“I am weak, but He is strong.”
-Heather ?