NOBODY'S PERFECT

I've heard this from a lot of people, but the one thing they never say is (except for me.) Meaning that even though the acknowledge the idea in principle that nobody is perfect they sure don't love admitting to being wrong.

I've struggled with that myself at times. I think it is very normal to get defensive when we are criticized. Not that making excuses really changes the fact that we made a mistake, but somehow when we can explain our actions with an excuse it just seems to carry less guilt. At least it appears to in so many ways.

Time and time again I find myself having to revisit God's throne of grace. To allow his holy spirit to remind me that at my best I will never please God by my behavior.

But the great news is that I don't have to carry a heavy burden of guilt for that either. That is because of forgiveness. Providing I'm willing to embrace his idea of truth.

The big problem I think is that to truly accept the concept of grace one has to first be willing to admit to having done something wrong. For some people they just can rise above the need to lie to themselves.

So often I've seen the tragic consequences that come when one just keeps avoiding seeing the truth of their own sin. God wants to forgive us. He wants to help us rise above our own weakness in the sense of becoming who we truly are able to become.

But none of that can happen as long as we lie and keep pretending our sin really isn't sin. And if the person is involved in a church that teachers or in any way emphasis some version of perfection this can be extra hard.

You don't have to teach legalism to inspire the illusion of perfection as a doctrine. A church that makes any act or teaching that one follows a condition that will somehow solve all of life's problems is in my opinion practicing a version of perfectionism.

It never succeeds for man is unable of being perfect in this life. That is why God grants us the joy of grace if we accept it.

And no matter how much we think we understand and embrace that concept the world abounds far more with advocates of some form of perfectionism. You can't be around it for long without it affecting your thinking to some degree.

Sadly, for a second there will always be some who succeed in adhering to such teachings. But when they fail, you never hear that part of their testimony, just the other part where they claim perfect their live happens to be.

In the wake of such silliness God remains faithful to the truth. Jesus will always stand at the door to our heart and knock. The problem is being able to hear his knock over the sound of our how boast of perfection.