Completely imperfect. -

There are plenty of opportunities on your journey of faith to experience the highs and lows of being a stranger in a strange world, and multiple opportunities to wish you would have done better for Christ. But as hard as you can be on yourself, God does not sees you differently. You judge yourself unworthy on a daily basis, when it isn’t what God is doing. Your mess-ups were paid for by Jesus Christ, so the heaven/hell issue is off the table. So what’s the problem? Could you have done things different? Made a better choice in that moment when you failed? Maybe. Maybe there are natural consequence to your actions that are difficult to walk through. All of that is part of the human experience, but God doesn’t see you any differently if you are living under the blood of Jesus Christ.

[Read this next: “Don’t Judge Yourself Unworthy- Just Worship!”]

Unfortunately, we tend to see ourselves differently than God does and it is such a defeating, discouraging perspective! An incorrect perspective of who you are and where you are on your faith journey is a way for the enemy to attack your faith, your sense of worth and your passion for staying connected to the Spirit of God. He’s a liar! We see ourselves as imperfect and flawed and unworthy when the opposite is true in Christ. Sure, we read our Bibles and go to church, and pray and worship, but in the back of our minds there is that little, nagging idea that our imperfections are just a little too imperfect to be completely worthy of God’s attention, His miracles, His love, His approval. Paul understood this. He was often hard on himself too and he wrote this to the Philippians: “I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 1:6) Being “incomplete” is not a flaw in you. You, walking in faith, being incomplete, is a sign to others to glory God because of you!

An incorrect perspective of who you are and where you are on your faith journey is a way for the enemy to attack your faith, your sense of worth and your passion for staying connected to the Spirit of God.

Knowing that we are all in various states of completion, Paul’s prayer was “that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all discernment, that you may approve things that are excellent so that you may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, being filled with the fruit of righteousness, which comes through Jesus Christ, for the glory and praise of God.” (Philippians 1:10-11) Interpretation: Knowing you are incomplete is the perfect state of mind for God to complete you. God can’t complete those who think they are already completed! Stop judging yourself for being “incomplete” – recognize it in yourself and present yourself to God. He’s not done yet! What you see as hideously incomplete and full of flaws, God sees as beautiful potential! Yes, you are fully completed in Christ from God’s perspective, but as you allow God to work out that completion here on earth, don’t judge the artist while He is still painting your portrait!

Thought for today

Learn how to approach your life “more excellently” as Paul wrote. As you draw near and stay near to the Lord, you will continue to evolve into a “pure and blameless” version of yourself, that more closely resembles how God already sees you. This doesn’t just happen to everyone, not even for believers. It is a permission issue. Let the Master complete His work. Let Him erase things, smear and smudge, wipe clean and do whatever He sees fit to do as He brings you to the point of completion that He sees in His mind. Stop judging yourself for being where you are and what you are. Choose to live “more excellently” and Paul wrote that how you embrace the righteousness you have in Christ will bring glory and praise to the Lord! Hooray for another testimony of the goodness of God in your life! <3