Perfection

There's no doubt: I am a perfectionist. I expect myself to not make mistakes.  I know  in this earthly selfish world, I will never be perfect. Romans 3:23 NLT reinforces that saying, 

For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard."

So, if scripture tells us that everyone falls short, why do I strive for perfection in all that I do? I have battled within my mind why I feel the need to not screw up. So, I turned to God and prayed and prayed. Last year I finally received an answer. 

I certainly don't want to stop trying to please our Lord. In fact, I make an effort to become better each and every single day. Sure, I mess up. Yes, I fall short of His glory. But if I don't try, I'll never grow. I won't be challenged and become stagnant- content without purpose, without a fire in my heart that I so desperately need. That inferno that burns within my heart for Christ is what keeps me reaching for higher ground. It's what drives my desire to please our Lord. 

There are several passages that speak about perfection and serving God to the best of our abilities. I'd like to share a few with you. 

Romans 6:20-23 NLT

When you were slaves of sin, you were free from obligation to do right. And what was the result? You are now ashamed of the things you used to do, things that end in eternal doom. But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Romans 6:20-23 tells tell us as believers, we are obligated to seek the Truth and do what is right. We are ashamed of our past sins and when we mess us, we again feel guilty and want to do better. So, we genuinely ask for forgiveness and because Jesus died on the cross, we are forgiven. 

Let's take a look at Romans 12:11 NLT

Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. 

Lazy... NEVER.BE.LAZY. Powerful words Romans tells us there. One more from Romans (This book is PACKED FULL of wonderful wisdom!) Let's look at Romans 12:2 NLT

Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

Seeking God in all that we do will bring an entirely new perspective. His wisdom, His will, His love, His Holiness will be bestowed upon us. When we look to our Father, He will answer our pleas and His perfection will shine through us. 

Do I ever want to stop striving for perfection? Absolutely not.