I don’t know about you, but for myself, I try so hard to be the perfect wife, the perfect mom, the perfect housekeeper…only to find that I fall short. Very short. So far below my expectations that I feel hopeless.
Depressed.
Frustrated. At myself and life in general.
Countless times I’ve remarked to my husband, “How can you love me when I’m so imperfect?” or “I wish I’d be the perfect wife and mom.”
Countless times he’s answered, “I’m so glad you aren’t. Because then I’d have to be perfect too!”
Then one day not too long ago, this whole “perfection problem” kinda blew-up. We were on our way home from an overnight stay without our one-year-old, so we had time to talk without interruptions. My husband asked a question. A fairly simple question.
“What was God’s purpose in creating you?”
“For His glory,” I replied.
“How do you bring Him glory?” he prodded further. (By the way, he’s excellent at asking good, hard questions.)
He went on to explain how that God created man in His own image, and gave man a free will. When God created the angels, he did not give them a free will. Why?
God did not intend for mankind to be perfect (perfect, as in making no mistakes or never sinning.) Otherwise, He would have created mankind without the ability to choose to sin. So, in other words, before man was even in the making, God knew that man would choose to disobey, and that we’d need a Saviour. And He was perfectly “ok” with that. In fact, that was His plan all along. He wasn’t looking for perfect robots, but redeemed children.
He still isn’t looking for perfect little angels. We weren’t created to be perfect. We were created to bring glory to God by being redeemed through the blood of Jesus Christ.
Did you get that?? You don’t have to try to be perfect for God to love you. He loved you even before you made the choice to follow Him. He died for your sins even before you knew you needed Him. What is more “freeing” than that?
From Genesis to Revelation, the story is the same: REDEMPTION – A loving, merciful God, seeking to restore relationships with His creation to Himself. We bring Him glory by allowing Him to pen a redemption story for us.
The problem with perfection is that perfection doesn’t need God. If something is perfect, it doesn’t need any help. It’s perfect. It’s flawless.
Why do we try to so hard, then, to have the perfect family? To be the perfect church member? To be the perfect ___________ (You fill in the blanks.) Why?
Maybe its because we don’t really understand God’s love. We think we somehow have to earn love. But the fact remains the same- God’s love is not dependent on how perfect we are.
Ephesians 2:1-10 explains how that while we were “dead” in our sins, Christ died for us. Our salvation is not earned by our good deeds, or by perfect performance, but by the blood of Jesus. And then it goes on, saying, “But we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works.”
Hmm…so good works are important?
When we realize who we are in Christ, that we were created to bring glory to Him by being a part of His redemption story, it will change us. No longer will we try to be perfect in order to be loved. Instead, we will love Him so much, and be His hands and feet – His workmanship.
Yes, there are times the Bible does talk about being “perfect” or being “made perfect.” In the Greek, the word perfect (when used in that context) means “complete or mature.” It gives the idea of growing up into a mature Christian. It doesn’t mean that we are perfectly flawless, or that we never sin.
The truth of the matter is this: God longs for a restored, redeemed relationship with you and me. That’s why He created us. Praise God, for we no longer have to perform to be loved by Him. Instead, when we accept His love for us, we love Him; and when we love Him, obeying His commandments doesn’t seem hard anymore. There’s freedom! Instead of an attitude of “I have to do this” it’s “I want to do this because Jesus loves me so much!”
Will you let Him write a redemption story for you?
Now if only I could really get ahold of this concept…enough that it goes from my head to my heart.
Abundant Redemption 