We live in culture that often emphasises success and excellence. But very few of us are always successful, and many of us fall short of excellence most of the time
( Read more... )
perfection, holiness, maturitygtrnvoxDecember 14 2020, 15:46:25 UTC
I like the general idea here, as spiritual failure serves as a constant reminder to repent and approach God in prayer and submission. It is perhaps better to say don't dwell on your failures rather than don't strive for perfection. It seems reasonable that one can recognize and acknowledge one's spiritual poverty before God and still strive for perfection, recognizing that it will not be achieved in this lifetime and that it cannot be done by one's own strength. There is a consistent message in Scripture to aim at reflecting the character of God--"You are to be holy, for I, YHWH your God am holy" to "You are to be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect." Peter's words are quite sound for this situation:
"Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for 'God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.' Thus, be humbled under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you..."
(And how do you humble yourself?)
"...casting all your anxiety upon him, because he cares for you."
RE: perfection, holiness, maturitysusannahDecember 14 2020, 16:29:15 UTC
Thank you. I think your balance is absolutely right. We should strive for the holiness of God in our lives, while recognising that perfection will not be complete in our lifetimes. In ourselves, we come before God in the rags and tatters of our mistakes, our failures, our incompleteness. And yet God loves us, and wants to help us open our hearts to that love, and to keep on journeying, keep on believing in the holiness and grace of God. Your final line reminds us that we do not make that journey alone, and God understands our anxiety, but remains constant and committed to us, and is worthy of our trust.
I hope you know the grace and love of God this Christmas, and let's hope that 2021 brings respite from this pandemic after what for so many has been a very difficult year.
Comments 2
"Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for 'God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.' Thus, be humbled under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you..."
(And how do you humble yourself?)
"...casting all your anxiety upon him, because he cares for you."
Reply
I hope you know the grace and love of God this Christmas, and let's hope that 2021 brings respite from this pandemic after what for so many has been a very difficult year.
Reply
Leave a comment