Have you ever found yourself embarrassed by one of your faults? Have you ever found yourself trying to cover up a sin you wrongfully committed? Have you ever made a mistake that you were judged harshly for by someone?
Faults, we all have them. Sins, we all commit them. Mistakes, we all make them. As God shifts us into varying roles throughout our lives I’ve come to realize how people begin to confine us by holding us to idealistic standards about what we should or should not do and who we should or should not be. Often times, it becomes easy to fixate on meeting the expectations that people of the world have set for us.
Faults, we all have them. Sins, we all commit them. Mistakes, we all make them. As God shifts us into varying roles throughout our lives I’ve come to realize how people begin to confine us by holding us to idealistic standards about what we should or should not do and who we should or should not be. Often times, it becomes easy to fixate on meeting the expectations that people of the world have set for us.
Last week I found myself reflecting on my personal imperfections and posted the words below on my social media page:
"I never want for anyone who knows me or even simply see's snippets of my life via social media to misconstrue my reality. I love God more than anything but that does not make me perfect. I sin & go through daily life struggles just like the next person. What I believe sets me apart is the fact that no matter how many sins or struggles that I may face, I continuously force my flesh to keep going back to God so that my spirit may stay aligned with God's grace & I may stay in his presence because I know that God's power is made perfect through my weaknesses (2 Corinthians 12:9 NIV)..... I am literally nothing without God."
"I never want for anyone who knows me or even simply see's snippets of my life via social media to misconstrue my reality. I love God more than anything but that does not make me perfect. I sin & go through daily life struggles just like the next person. What I believe sets me apart is the fact that no matter how many sins or struggles that I may face, I continuously force my flesh to keep going back to God so that my spirit may stay aligned with God's grace & I may stay in his presence because I know that God's power is made perfect through my weaknesses (2 Corinthians 12:9 NIV)..... I am literally nothing without God."
Most of my faults, sins, mistakes, my imperfections, have added a great deal of value to my life by blessing me with wisdom, spiritual maturity, and a yearning to be that much closer to God on a regular basis. I have learned that by acknowledging my imperfections and confessing them before God, I am forgiven (“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” 1 John 1:9 NIV).
As we enter into the final quarter of 2015 I believe that God wants to remind those reading this blog that as children of God, we all are inevitably imperfect (“If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us” 1 John 1:8 NIV). Falling short of Gods standards, not society’s, due to our imperfections that may cause us to stumble a few times along the way, does not mean that we have failed (“though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand” Psalm 37:24 NIV).
As we enter into the final quarter of 2015 I believe that God wants to remind those reading this blog that as children of God, we all are inevitably imperfect (“If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us” 1 John 1:8 NIV). Falling short of Gods standards, not society’s, due to our imperfections that may cause us to stumble a few times along the way, does not mean that we have failed (“though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand” Psalm 37:24 NIV).
I remember reading about Saul and David in the bible:
“Whatever mission Saul sent him on, David was so successful that Saul gave him a high rank in the army. This pleased all the troops, and Saul’s officers as well. When the men were returning home after David had killed the Philistine, the women came out from all the towns of Israel to meet King Saul with singing and dancing, with joyful songs and with timbrels and lyres. As they danced, they sang: “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands.” Saul was very angry; this refrain displeased him greatly. “They have credited David with tens of thousands,” he thought, “but me with only thousands. What more can he get but the kingdom?” And from that time on Saul kept a close eye on David. The next day an evil spirit from God came forcefully on Saul. He was prophesying in his house, while David was playing the lyre, as he usually did. Saul had a spear in his hand and he hurled it, saying to himself, “I’ll pin David to the wall.” But David eluded him twice. Saul was afraid of David, because the Lord was with David but had departed from Saul. So he sent David away from him and gave him command over a thousand men, and David led the troops in their campaigns” (1 Samuel 18:5-13 NIV).
Saul’s envy of David prohibited how far God could truly advance him as a ruler since he never went to God to confess his envy and ask for forgiveness. After observing Saul’s story, it is important for us to understand why we must never let God depart from us and leave our presence in the way that Saul allowed him to. Though there is beauty in our imperfections, if we do not stay in the presence of the Lord, we will allow our imperfections (faults, sins, mistakes) to get the best of us.
The beauty in our imperfections come from the desire that our imperfections create within us to keep going to God for dependence, for forgiveness and for support. No matter what your imperfections may be, consider them a blessing; because as long as you stay in the presence of God, your imperfections are what will help ground you. Remember that despite your stumbles along the way due to your imperfections, God’s calling over your life is bigger and as long as you keep Him by your side, you will always come out on top.
“Whatever mission Saul sent him on, David was so successful that Saul gave him a high rank in the army. This pleased all the troops, and Saul’s officers as well. When the men were returning home after David had killed the Philistine, the women came out from all the towns of Israel to meet King Saul with singing and dancing, with joyful songs and with timbrels and lyres. As they danced, they sang: “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands.” Saul was very angry; this refrain displeased him greatly. “They have credited David with tens of thousands,” he thought, “but me with only thousands. What more can he get but the kingdom?” And from that time on Saul kept a close eye on David. The next day an evil spirit from God came forcefully on Saul. He was prophesying in his house, while David was playing the lyre, as he usually did. Saul had a spear in his hand and he hurled it, saying to himself, “I’ll pin David to the wall.” But David eluded him twice. Saul was afraid of David, because the Lord was with David but had departed from Saul. So he sent David away from him and gave him command over a thousand men, and David led the troops in their campaigns” (1 Samuel 18:5-13 NIV).
Saul’s envy of David prohibited how far God could truly advance him as a ruler since he never went to God to confess his envy and ask for forgiveness. After observing Saul’s story, it is important for us to understand why we must never let God depart from us and leave our presence in the way that Saul allowed him to. Though there is beauty in our imperfections, if we do not stay in the presence of the Lord, we will allow our imperfections (faults, sins, mistakes) to get the best of us.
The beauty in our imperfections come from the desire that our imperfections create within us to keep going to God for dependence, for forgiveness and for support. No matter what your imperfections may be, consider them a blessing; because as long as you stay in the presence of God, your imperfections are what will help ground you. Remember that despite your stumbles along the way due to your imperfections, God’s calling over your life is bigger and as long as you keep Him by your side, you will always come out on top.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father,
We thankfully come before you blessing your Holy name. We lift you up with praise and honor for being the great God that you are. Thank you for being our father who always provides. Thank you for loving us inside and out because of our imperfections. Thank you for keeping us grounded in you through our imperfections. We humbly come before you with a desperate prayer on our lips as we begin the last quarter of the year. God cleanse us as white as snow (Isaiah 1:18 NIV) and purify any unrighteousness that may dwell within us. Bless us with wisdom and an abundance of spiritual maturity as we may stumble due to our imperfections from time to time. Teach us how to depend and rely on you as our source because we understand that your power is always made perfect through our weaknesses God. Equip us with strength, wisdom and humility as we deal with our daily imperfections and gradually discover the beauty in imperfection. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.
Heavenly Father,
We thankfully come before you blessing your Holy name. We lift you up with praise and honor for being the great God that you are. Thank you for being our father who always provides. Thank you for loving us inside and out because of our imperfections. Thank you for keeping us grounded in you through our imperfections. We humbly come before you with a desperate prayer on our lips as we begin the last quarter of the year. God cleanse us as white as snow (Isaiah 1:18 NIV) and purify any unrighteousness that may dwell within us. Bless us with wisdom and an abundance of spiritual maturity as we may stumble due to our imperfections from time to time. Teach us how to depend and rely on you as our source because we understand that your power is always made perfect through our weaknesses God. Equip us with strength, wisdom and humility as we deal with our daily imperfections and gradually discover the beauty in imperfection. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.