Hey Everybody
Happy GratiTuesday.
I love gratituesdays, just like everyday, because it helps me remember all that I am and all that I have.
When I say all that I am- I mean- I am a child of God- and that in itself makes me complete.
But I didn't always feel complete- in fact- there were things that happened in my life that made me feel I would never be whole again- things I still struggle with today.
I am a person guilty of striving for perfection.
From childhood, I always looked to please people and make them happy- when in reality I wasn't the one that could please them, but they needed to learn to please themselves.
So, I would often get disappointed and feel I wasn't good enough. Not only that, there have been people in my life that have shown me that I wasn't good enough. From straight up telling me 'what I did wasn't good enough' to breaking my trust and doing really hurtful things and showing me I wasn't good enough by lying to me.
Those things still effect me today. Sometimes, I get so worked up because of my fear of people deceiving me again that I will do so many 'wordly' and temporary things to make me feel good, look better, and strive for a worldly perfection- in hopes that I wont have to go through what I have gone through in the past.
The relationships I have been in only showed me that I was good enough temporarily. I lost so much confidence and strength from those traumas that it seemed like everyday was a day I was in rehab to recover from my hurt and insecurities. When I gave in to my insecurities, I felt like a failure.
Even when I came to Christ, I thought now I had to be perfect to a perfect and holy Christ or else I wasn't good enough because that was all I knew.
It wasn't until I got into His Word and really seeking who Jesus was to figure out that the perfection I was striving for was not the same perfection that Jesus talked about.
I was striving on worldy perfection: being good enough for MAN. People are brainwashed into thinking that having the best body, the nicest hair, the perfect voice (the list goes on) is the key to perfection.
That is so FALSE!
True perfection is through Jesus- and perfection is a journey. Jesus' perfection is about being perfect by Him and through Him. Christ died on the cross for our sins so God could freely live in us and us in Him. When we are "in Christ" we are made perfect. Jesus works in us everyday to be perfect just like him- from being loving, compassionate, merciful, graceful, joyful,etc!
When you live in Christ- it doesn't mean that you will do everything right- it means that you are allowing God to take over your life to make you better and perfect in His name.
Jesus was the perfect sacrifice for our sins- not for his own- so because He sacrificed himself to give us freedom, He too wanted us to be perfected- & its through Him that we are.
I view perfection so differently now- I view perfection in God's way- I strive for humbleness, to be pleasing to Him, to become more loving, to be more giving, etc. TO BE MORE LIKE HIM. I no longer focus on worrying about how I can please people and how I can look good to them. Because people can't give me eternal life- but God can.
The greatest misconception that I hear in the church sometimes is that God loves you BUT- you must do this and this. WRONG!
God loves you. PERIOD.
No matter how many flaws man wants to point out- no matter how imperfect you feel & no matter how many mistakes you make in a day. God doesn't see you for what you are in your physical form- He sees you for what's in your heart. When you abide in Christ- He sees you as perfect- because you accepted his most precious gift- & that is Jesus!
He will take care of the rest.
If you feel you are too angry sometimes, judge others, don't show enough love- talk to Him and allow Him to guide your steps- you just have to be willing to move your feet!
It is pleasing to Him that you want to not only change, but come to Him to change... that is the process of perfection in Him! How beautiful!
Remember God is one with His Word- just as He tells us to follow different commandments in the bible or teaches us different things- He also goes by His law. So whenever I get discouraged I remember that. Also- God is Love & love covers over a multitude of sins. Jesus died and covered ALL of your sins. You are never too sinful or imperfect to come to God. That is truly an amazing love!
Study Scriptures:
John Chapter 1
John Chapter 4
1Peter Chapter 4
Philippians Chapter 3
Dont worry about your mess- ups- just turn to him and He will be your help, your friend, your forgiver, accepter, understander- All the above :)
Love you ALL!!! :)
Love this post, it is a great reminder that we are nothing without Him! We cannot be good or perfect without Him. As we walk further with Him He continues to get rid of things and we become better through Him; but this is something we should always hold on to and remember. The devil tries to trick so many people into thinking when they have done wrong that God doesn't love them or doesn't want to help them and that is the furthest from the truth! Thanks for sharing this :)
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