It's spring cleaning time and one thing we need to throw out is our desire to be perfect. Oh, how I have ridden that horse and fallen off a thousand times. We reach for perfection only to fail. What is perfection and where do we find it? Our Savior is perfect. Through Him we are perfected. Ah, now that makes everything better, right? Well, it does until we forget and try to saddle that horse of perfection again.
We try so hard to be loved, to be liked, to be well, perfect. We want to to be that everything for everyone and we simply cannot. Why do we have that desire? Our Savior is the One who we need to lead others to. He is the One we need to seek. He can handle any Goliath that passes by or camps out in our living room. Here's the thing. It's okay to say, "No". Oh my, it's a shocker, I know. How dare us say no to someone, but friends, we cannot be everything to everyone. That is not our job.
So, what is our job? To have a relationship, a personal relationship, with Christ. That's what He wants from us. He wants to be invited in. Not just on Sunday, but on everyday. He wants to have church with us on a moment by moment basis. Think about that for a minute. How often do we think of Christ? He thinks of us every second of every day. That's pretty amazing. Don't ya think?
We want to be perfect moms, perfect wives, perfect friends. We want our bodies to look perfect. We envision our home as being perfect. We want to look and feel perfection, but for us, what is perfection? I think perfection is allowing our flaws to show so Christ can shine through them. After all, isn't it all about Him? He can bring beauty from ash. He created us with His own hands. He knows every detail about our lives. You know, those details we keep secret from everyone else.
When we surrender to Him, I mean totally give ourselves to Him and Him alone, He moves through us to complete HIS perfection. When we allow ourselves to simply be His, He creates moments in time for us to allow Him to shine. Those circumstances we think are ugly and imperfect? He can use them as opportunities to shine! Those bad days where the clouds are overhead? We are too quick to think the clouds have won out, my friends. The Sun is still shining! Sometimes it's those very clouds protecting us from the harm to come.
In being a parent to five children, I learned a long time ago, I was no way near perfect. Oh, I wanted to be. I strive to be, but in my mountain climb to achieve perfection status, I messed up big time. In our motivation to reach perfection we lose a part of ourselves. We miss out on the Holy Spirit. He is our gift. Our treasure to behold. It is the Holy Spirit that can set us free of trying to hold on tight to reaching perfection.
Why not just allow God to be God? First, we must give up control. I must giggle at that as I pen the words. We only think we have control. In surrender we find peace. We find beauty. We find time to breathe and allow God to move us in ways we only dream of. In fact, with God doing the leading, He will open doors we never imagined possible.
So, just hold on to your hat. Loosen those strings. Open the windows and feel the breeze today. Say yes, when God calls you to say yes and say no when you know He is directing you else where. When we say yes to everything we are not leaving room for someone else to step in and take action for Christ. Here is a tip. It's okay to ask for help and better yet, to ask for prayer along your journey. We are to stand together. We are to band together as sisters and brothers in Christ, allowing God to lead the way, as we give up our idea of perfection and take hold of His.
"Look to the Lord and His strength; seek His face always."
Psalm 105:4
"For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you."
Isaiah 41:13
