I grew up with a military dad. What exactly does that mean? While
although he did not enforce a super tidy space (it would have been futile to
try anyways, clothes belonged on the floor back then after wearing them), he
did expect the best from me in regards to my grades. Of course, best might be
slightly skewed as bringing home a 97 (A) was not acceptable. He beckoned for
something over 100, which meant I had to knock out some extra credit
questions/tasks. This repeating occurrence through-out school, in conjunction
with a few other life events and seemingly pre-disposed traits (displayed at a very
young age), has shown and echoed through-out my life, I extremely dislike to
fail.
This desire for perfection gives a doorpost for attacks, as
no one is on point 100% of the time.
None, but God come in human form as the Son, Jesus Christ
that is.
It is written in Psalm 51:5, “Surely I was sinful at birth,
sinful from the time my mother conceived me.” And Ecclesiastes 7:20, “Surely
there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.” But for
the betterment of all mankind we know the truth of Yeshua, “God
made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the
righteousness of God.” 2 Corinthians 5:21.
Of course, reading the verses are all well and good; it is
coming to the true understanding of this fact and applying it that sometimes
takes a bit more tick-tock on the clock. If you are like me, you may have
struggled or perhaps are currently struggling with the idea that God is mad at
you. This is in part result of the mind of an attempted perfectionist. If we
harbor negative emotions within and towards ourselves for not being “on-point”
of course (we think) our Creator would think the same thing right? FALSE! He
knows the very number of hairs on our head, and knew us before the foundation
of this world, and totally sent His son to die on our behalf BECAUSE of ours
sins (past, present, and future), in which we might be reconciled back to Him,
so ...
You, nor I, nor anyone else will ever be “good enough” to
get into Heaven. It is a free gift, as written in Ephesians 2:8-9, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is
not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by
works, so that no one can boast.”
May we remember, “This righteousness is given through faith
in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between
Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and
all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by
Christ Jesus.
God presented Christ as a sacrifice of
atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did
this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left
the sins committed beforehand unpunished— he did it to
demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one
who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.”
Romans 3:22-26
So perhaps instead of us trying to be some unattainable
version of ourselves, we should start to see the world/people around us that is
in need. Embark upon the call that has
been given to us all, the Great
Commission perchance?
Additional Reading -> Romans
5:12-21
