It’s the last Sunday of the month, and today perfection is on my heart.
The reason for this is two-fold:
I am struggling with my weight. I’ve gained 10 pounds, and I don’t like the way I look. I eat right. I’m exceedingly healthy. I have no health problems. I still look good, but not in my own eyes. I’m working with a nutritionist, and I still am not happy. I see no change, and I’m getting very frustrated with it all.
Proverbs 31. I just finished reading Proverbs 31 (which is Lesson 25, Day 5 for those of you wondering). This is the passage of The Wife of Noble Character in the Bible. I feel like I am most of those things, but I definitely fall short on some of them most days. I could definitely fear the Lord more, be more generous, and be more instructive with my tongue.
The definition of perfect is without defect. However, when I Googled, this is what I got: “having all the required or desirable elements, qualities, or characteristics; as good as it is possible to be.”
“As good as it is possible to be.” I think this is what we need to keep in mind when we strive for perfection.
Is it wrong to strive for perfection? Let’s put this another way: Is it wrong to strive to be like Jesus?
In our hearts, we all want to be perfect. Why? Why is this human desire there? Because Jesus was perfect and in the hearts of all people (whether they are a believer or not) is this desire to be perfect, to be like Jesus.
Should you strive to be perfect? Should you strive to be like Jesus? Duh, of course you should strive to be like Jesus. And Jesus was perfect.
Hence, I will keep up the battle. Because I don’t like to fail. And I don’t like to be defeated.
Food for me is a daily battle, and there are days when I feel like giving up. Let’s be honest: every day I feel like giving up.
Being like Jesus is a daily battle. Because most of the time I’m selfish and dislike doing things for other people, especially people I don’t know. It’s a daily battle to see with the eyes of God and give with the hands of Jesus.
Will I ever look perfect? No.
Will I ever be perfect like Jesus? No.
But I can be as good as it is possible to be. And that’s my new goal. What about you?
It’s the last Sunday of the month, and today complaining is on my heart.
I know we all complain. It’s human nature. However, the things we complain about the most shouldn’t really be complaints. For example, the schools our kids go to (at least they get to go to school), co-workers whom you feel aren’t doing their jobs (at least you have a job), driving in the snow (at least there is moisture to water our world), flying (at least airplanes exist), the toilet that isn’t working (thank God for indoor plumbing), or traffic that made you a few minutes late to work (at least we have cars).
My prayer today is for all of us to see the positives in this world instead of the negatives and to be grateful for the little things we “complain” about when in truth we have nothing at all to complain about in the 21st century.
We have God, and we have the Bible. Everything else is inconsequential.
“Know your own happiness.”
“Hardships often prepare ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny.”
“It is not the place we occupy which is important, but the direction in which we move.”
“Better to know a few things which are good and necessary than many things which are useless and mediocre.”