If you know me, you know that I work to PERFECT whatever I am passionate about. If you don't know me then, I just told you so now you do. I have to be the best and I am never hesitant about putting in the work that it takes. That's just how I am.
This has been a driving mentality all my life. If I'm interested, I will work for it.
First let me say, There is absolutely nothing wrong with aspiring to be the best. In fact it's completely biblical: "Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might..." Ecclesiastes 9:10
The problem is that perfection, ironically has flaws of its own. There will always be someone more "perfect" than you at something. More beautiful, more funny, more nice, more caring, more intelligent, more sanctified, more fit, more prayerful, more outgoing, more PERFECT. This is what causes people to do immoral things to achieve whatever level of "perfect" that they seek. I was not an exception; the thought of having imperfections sowed a deadly seed that led me down a path filled with hatred (of self and others) and countless insecurities.
“For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.”Romans 8:6
2 years ago as I laid on the floor in my room, face stuffed in a pillow drenched in tears with clenched fists, I began to tell God all the things that make me feel unworthy. I reluctantly opened up those tight fists and finally........surrender happened. A few hours after handing God my heavy baggage of hate and hurt, he handed me such a lightweight peace that couldn't have come from anyone but Him. So long to that insecure girl that needed attention from the opposite sex to be validated. I was finally free to love others!
"...in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God." 2 Corinthians 4:4
He then freed me from the hatred and shined his Light on my dark mind; He showed me the right way to BE the person He designed me to be!
God has placed various personality traits and passions in each and every one of us that He means to instruct us how to use properly and for His glory, if we let Him. He used Moses' imperfections, Peter's weakness, and Ruth's hopeless situation to do great things they could have never done in their own strength because they allowed Him! God gave you a love for music? A knack for science? The gift of creativity? Made you outspoken? Put you in a unique situation? Made you quiet? Made you a leader? It's not your's to figure out, He wants to show you how to use that!
"For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?" 1 Corinthians 4:7
The point here is that our personalities and mindsets can be as noble as they wanna be but they will always be flawed and misdirected if we do not surrender it to the will of God. Without Him, we will forever be aiming for the wrong type of perfection, and even worse, succeeding.
“Our greatest fear should not be of failure but of succeeding at things in life that don't really matter.” -Francis Chan
grace & PEACE.
No comments:
Post a Comment