On Perfection...

photo credit: jmodus

One of the first things we did after moving to Des Moines was look for a gym to belong to. We thought that it would be nice for the winter since we do not do as much walking around outside and also gives Will a chance to climb and play in the kids area with other kids his age. After working out this morning I went to the locker room to get my coat and keys and as I was getting ready to go I over heard some women talking about life. About how this particular person cooks on thursdays, monday is laundry day, tuesday is cleaning, and so on. I thought to my self how nice it would be to actually be consistent like that. Well I do have things pretty organized and scheduled out, but it always varies from day to day a bit. I can never seem to be perfect with my schedule. Then I look around and see these moms picking up their kids in the kids area and see how together they look. They have got their hair all fixed up, make up on, smiles, holding a child in one hand and their coffee in the other. I thought to myself, wow all these people are so perfect. They have got it all together and the weird thing is that I know a couple of them don't have Christ in their life. For a moment it almost looked like God was unnecessary in their lives. Like they can achieve success with out Him. Then I caught myself...wait! What am I talking about? That could never happen in this world! It just so happened that I read a daily devo by Oswald Chambers this morning (while in the locker room), and he talks about just this. That Christian perfection will never be human perfection. It is not the same thing! Christian perfection is the perfection of a relationship with God that shows itself to be true. Oswald said, "that I am called to live in such a perfect relationship with God that my life produces a yearning for God in the lives of others, not admiration for myself." He starts out the devo by saying that it is a trap to think that God wants to make us "perfect specimens" of what He can do, but that God's purpose is to make us one with Him. I realized that thoughts about human perfection were hindering my usefulness to God and my relationship to Him. Not that I am the "perfect" hair, makeup, coffee drinking type of person anyways, but I will remember now that its not all about how humanly perfect they look. I am sure they have their own set of problems, but also how much better life would be for them on the inside if and when they start a relationship with our one true King.

"God's purpose is not to perfect me to make me a trophy in His showcase; He is getting me to the place where He can use me. Let Him do what He wants."-Oswald Chambers

"Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus made me His own." Philippians 3:12