Hold on to learned lessons. Rarely will you learn something once and never find yourself in that situation again. Something I have to go back to quite often is the way to battle perfection and the belief of being good enough.
When I first truly recognized how often I failed to be like Jesus, I began to think I would never be good enough to please God. I knew I desired and tried to be committed to Jesus more than anything, but I saw my actions, words, and attitudes were so far from perfect, I couldn't believe I was anything but a failure.
I pinned myself as a spiritual failure- someone who didn't meet the requirements of a Christ follower. Constantly I worried, "Does God expect perfection in my daily walk? What about bad choices, my weaknesses, and countless mistakes? How long before He doesn't take me seriously?" It's like I feared God eventually putting me on the shelf, because I was always falling short of perfect. I recited Matthew 5:48 in my head over and over again- "Be perfect, as your Heavenly Father is perfect," and oh was I so never perfect...
As my relationship with God grew through time, however, I began to see the intention behind that verse. The more I became to know Him the more I experienced His desire and love for me. I saw how He continuously pursued me, even when I was certain I had just played my last straw. My view of Him as a judge, measuring my every thought and move with perfection, had turned it to nothing but a compassionate, caring Father, who craves my love- just as I crave His. During my struggles to please Him, I found Him more and deeper. I found my need for Him, not just my desire for Him.
Today in this world, perfection is impossible to meet on your own. I wondered how Jesus could demand the impossible, until I understood what He later said -->
"With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." -Mt 19:26, Mk 10:27
impossible, but HIMpossible.
Whatever God may command or demand us to be or do, He empowers and enables us to make it possible.
"You can't. He never said you could. But He can and He always said He would."
This is a lesson I have to go back to daily.
A person who fails is not a failure.
Only a person who doesn't fail is a failure.
-because they have yet to understand a relationship takes two.
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