After being in “time out” my youngest child, Dylan, looked at me with his chocolate brown puppy dog eyes and said, “Mom, I can’t be good ALL the time. It’s ‘mmmmpossible!”
I couldn’t help but laugh. I replied, “That’s true. We all mess up, huh? But if I didn’t correct you, you’d never learn that you can choose a better way. I promise I just want to help you.”
Without missing a beat he said, “Ok, but remember, this won’t be the last time I’m bad, Mom.”
Gotta love his honesty!!
Parenting really helps me see how our Heavenly Father is constantly directing and correcting us,
but it’s because of His great love for us.
Consider these scriptures:
Proverbs 3:12
“For the Lord corrects those he loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights.”
Hebrews 12:11
“No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.”
#PerfectProblems
To be honest, I have lots of grace for other people, but not so much for myself. I understand when Dylan says, “This won’t be the last time I’m bad.” But when it comes to myself, I get angry, frustrated and very discouraged when I screw up. I have to fight off shame when God disciplines me.
The Apostle Paul explains the struggle between the flesh and the spirit so perfectly in Romans 7:15-19:
15 I do not understand what I do; for I don’t do what I would like to do, but instead I do what I hate. 16 Since what I do is what I don’t want to do, this shows that I agree that the Law is right. 17 So I am not really the one who does this thing; rather it is the sin that lives in me. 18 I know that good does not live in me—that is, in my human nature. For even though the desire to do good is in me, I am not able to do it. 19 I don’t do the good I want to do; instead, I do the evil that I do not want to do.
Preach it Brother Paul!!!
Forgive the cliche but the struggle is real! For example, I spent years eating tons of junk. My weight went up, up, up while my energy and health went down, down, down. This negatively affected many aspects of my life. At first glance, it appears to be such a waste.
But The Holy Spirit impressed on me to stop regretting. I took the long way but learned so much along the way!
God never wastes anything…He works all things together for our good! See, at my heaviest and weakest, I learned something extremely important: my worth and value is not determined by the scale, or anyone’s opinion of what I should be.
Wisdom, Not Perfection
Personally, I had to break free from believing lies. I had to learn that my identity is in Christ.
Whether 225 lbs or 125, dressed in sweats or the latest fashions….we are God’s choice, His beloved! We are His children and we are passionately loved and valued. At my heaviest and weakest, He taught me that.
I don’t know if I could have ever believed that God’s love is unconditional, and my worth and value have nothing to do with what the world says, if I had always been at a weight acceptable to the world’s standards. See, it’s easy to believe we’re loved if we are perfect, but when we fall short, it takes great faith and deep relationship with Jesus to believe!
For years and years I placed way too much importance on my outward appearance. The world supports that way of thinking, but The Holy Spirit living inside of me testifies to the fact that we are so much more than that! His plans for us are so much deeper.
The condition of our hearts and willingness to let Him work through us is where it’s AT, man!!
Even when God had to correct me and direct me into a better way, He loved me just the same, even at my heaviest and at my weakest. Even in my disobedience, He never gave up on me, and used that time to grow me and teach me. With God, nothing is wasted. He truly uses everything for our good.
In 2 Corinthians 12:9 Paul shows us that our imperfections are certainly used by God: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”
Maybe my problems were perfect for me. I do know God used every one of them to develop me and draw me closer to Himself.
God Is FOR You
If He’s calling you to make some changes, it’s because He loves you so much and wants the best for you. But even just as you are…He adores you and sees you as worthy…even of His ultimate sacrifice on the cross. It’s never about us trying to become acceptable. You are already way beyond “acceptable” to Him.
His love for you is strong, steadfast, relentless, unconditional and life changing! Perfection is not the key to our journey, and has no bearing on God’s love. Let’s take a lesson from little Dylan because we know: “This won’t be the last time I’m bad…” but with every struggle, mistake, weakness, and disappointment, God is there and loves us just the same. He never gives up on us. I believe what He says is true, and I trust Him…and where He’s leading…I want to follow. If He says we’re worth it…we are. Soak up His love from Psalm 103:
Psalm 103
Praise the Lord, my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
2Praise the Lord, my soul,
and forget not all his benefits—
3who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,
4who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,
5who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
6The Lord works righteousness
and justice for all the oppressed.
7He made known his ways to Moses,
his deeds to the people of Israel:
8The Lord is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in love.
9He will not always accuse,
nor will he harbor his anger forever;
10he does not treat us as our sins deserve
or repay us according to our iniquities.
11For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his love for those who fear him;
12as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
13As a father has compassion on his children,
so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;
14for he knows how we are formed,
he remembers that we are dust.
15The life of mortals is like grass,
they flourish like a flower of the field;
16the wind blows over it and it is gone,
and its place remembers it no more.
17But from everlasting to everlasting
the Lord’s love is with those who fear him,
and his righteousness with their children’s children—
18with those who keep his covenant
and remember to obey his precepts.
19The Lord has established his throne in heaven,
and his kingdom rules over all.
20Praise the Lord, you his angels,
you mighty ones who do his bidding,
who obey his word.
21Praise the Lord, all his heavenly hosts,
you his servants who do his will.
22Praise the Lord, all his works
everywhere in his dominion.
Praise the Lord, my soul.
Yes #PerfectProblems
We will never be perfect here on earth, but we have the One Who Is. His grace is sufficient. Our problems just may be the perfect way to know and love Him more!