HOLINESS OVER PERFECTION

As children of God, we live in a sinful world that strives for perfection. Whether we are trying to please God, ourselves, or others, we make every effort to create what we think is a “perfect” life.

We strive to be a spouse that loves deeply. We strive to be the parent that knows the balance of discipline and grace. We strive to be a child of God that abides by His commands.

We strive to be perfect in every relationship whether it is with God, friends, co-workers, children, or siblings.

In our strife for perfection, we attempt to always say the right thing filled with wisdom and truth. We try to be obedient and guard our hearts in attempt to avoid sin. We attempt to keep a spotless house and give 110% at work.

However, as Christians, this pursuit of perfection is not what we are called to yearn for. The harder we try to be perfect, the more times we will fail.

Striving for perfection will only lead to more anxiety and constant exhaustion.

Isn’t this exactly the opposite of what a life dedicated to Christ should look like?

Perfection for humans is not possible and will never be possible on our own.

So why do we keep on trying to appear to be this way?

If it was possible, God would not have sent His only son down to Earth to die for our sins and for our imperfections.

God sent His son in order to save us from our sins and allow us to have an everlasting relationship with Him.

God sent His son so we could be closer to Him. So we could live a holy life; not a perfect one.

In Hebrews 12:14 it says, “Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.”

“What is holiness?” you might ask.

According to the Bible, God’s holiness refers to the goodness and the power He withholds. While we will never be perfect, we serve a God that is right, just, and perfect.

We do not have to strive to be perfect if we wholeheartedly serve a God that is perfect.

Being holy means to be set apart for God. It means to belong to God.

It does not mean to be without sin, but do be different than those who haven’t come to know Christ yet.

Holiness means surrendering daily so we can draw closer to Him.

It means giving up our selfish ambitions and seeking His guidance.

Holiness means seeking what pleases God’s heart and not our own.

Holiness exemplifies our proximity to God.

It means how we live our life, not what we do in life.

In 2 Timothy 1:9 Paul writes to Timothy, “He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time.

Reread that.

We are called to live a holy life.

A holy life is not achieved by anything we are doing, but everything our Heavenly Father has done and will continue to do.

When we draw near to the Lord, we are able to take the attention off of our own Earthly lives and put the focus on our Heavenly Father.

When we live a life of holiness and draw near to the Lord we are able to love our spouses deeper than we ever have before. We are able to parent our children better and love those around us to the best of our ability.

How is this possible?

It is possible because the way we live our lives will be a reflection of God. The love we give others will be an overflow of the love we receive from the Father. The decisions we make will be based on Truth.

As you seek the Lord daily and draw closer to Him, his grace and peace will rest upon you.

In Romans 12:1 it says “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship”

A holy life should reflect God’s perfection.

We can live a holy life by seeking God more.

We need to talk to Him more. We need to thank Him for the blessings He has given and ask for forgiveness for when we fail Him.

We need to read His Word more and apply it to our lives.

We need to share His perfection with others.

It is okay if our house is a wreck.

It is okay if we haven’t done laundry in weeks.

God hasn’t called us to be the best at your job.

He hasn’t called you us be Mom or Dad of the year.

However, He has called us to live a holy life that reflects His perfection.

He has called us to be his Children and to be set apart.