I suffer from what I call a "do" mentality.
There's this little voice that is always saying, "you need to do this, or do that. Look what the others are doing, you should do that and more. You're not good enough, so do better."
On one hand, it helps me strive to do things well, but on the other hand, it causes me to fall prey to a perfectionist mentality and often accusation & condemnation.
The problem with my do mentality, my striving for perfectionism, is that while the idea is nice, it can never truly be attained on my own. So I always feel as though I've fallen short.
This perfectionist mentality gets played out mostly in my walk with God. I've always got to do better if I'm gonna be a good enough Christian...if God is going to like me. I struggle greatly with understanding grace, and actually living in it.
There is always the voice saying I "fell short, or maybe it was ok this time, but you still didn't do it perfectly. You're still not good enough."
Well, I'm realizing this is a load of poo, a lie straight from the pit of hell.
While processing some things with a mentor recently, I had the epiphany that my constant striving for perfection is really just a slap in Jesus' face, and cheapens what he did on the cross.
It says, "yeah, I know you suffered horrendously for me, and ultimately died for me, allowing me to walk in your grace & freedom, and I don't have to have the pressure of trying to reach perfect holiness, but screw you. I'm going to try to do it on my own anyway."
What the crap is wrong with me?! How horribly presumptuous of me! When I realized this, I was brought to tears that I had done that to Jesus.
The whole reason Jesus came was because we were unable to reach God on our own. No level of striving would ever get us to a place of perfect holiness to be in relationship with God, because we are full of sin.
Jesus' sacrifice made it so I don't have to be perfect on my own.
His atoning blood covers me, thus making me as already perfect in God's eyes. He cannot love me any more or less.
What I do does not determine how He feels about me.
And because Jesus died for me, there is NOW NO CONDEMNATION! (Rom. 8:1) This is not a future thing, when I get to heaven. This is a NOW thing. I walk in freedom NOW. There is no condemnation NOW.
I don't have to be perfect. I don't have to strive to be "good enough."
Now this doesn't mean I don't still do my best, and try to be holy as He is holy. But it does mean that I don't have to do it in my own power. And it means that when I fall short (and I will), I don't have to listen to the accusing lies of the enemy and wallow in condemnation.
Revelation 12:10 says that Satan stands accusing us day and night before God. If he does that before God, you know he's going to be doing it to us, to make us feel horrible. John 10:10 says that he has come to steal, kill & destroy us. If we are always living in condemnation, it's pretty destructive, and not living the abundant life that Jesus came for us to have.
So there is always going to be this accusing voice from the enemy, unless we refuse to listen to his lies, and instead walk in the truth of the Word of God. And the Word of God says that I am not condemned and I do not have to stay in a place of condemnation, and that I am loved by God-with a perfect love.
So are you striving for perfection & falling short? Have you heard the lies of the enemy putting you down?
Well, rebuke that spirit of accusation and speak out the TRUTH that you are not condemned, that God loves you as you are, and it IS ok to receive and walk in His grace.
YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE PERFECT! Just like I DO NOT HAVE TO BE PERFECT.
So walk in freedom, and remind me when you see me struggling. :)
Check this video out...so good!
There's this little voice that is always saying, "you need to do this, or do that. Look what the others are doing, you should do that and more. You're not good enough, so do better."
On one hand, it helps me strive to do things well, but on the other hand, it causes me to fall prey to a perfectionist mentality and often accusation & condemnation.
The problem with my do mentality, my striving for perfectionism, is that while the idea is nice, it can never truly be attained on my own. So I always feel as though I've fallen short.
This perfectionist mentality gets played out mostly in my walk with God. I've always got to do better if I'm gonna be a good enough Christian...if God is going to like me. I struggle greatly with understanding grace, and actually living in it.
There is always the voice saying I "fell short, or maybe it was ok this time, but you still didn't do it perfectly. You're still not good enough."
Well, I'm realizing this is a load of poo, a lie straight from the pit of hell.
While processing some things with a mentor recently, I had the epiphany that my constant striving for perfection is really just a slap in Jesus' face, and cheapens what he did on the cross.
It says, "yeah, I know you suffered horrendously for me, and ultimately died for me, allowing me to walk in your grace & freedom, and I don't have to have the pressure of trying to reach perfect holiness, but screw you. I'm going to try to do it on my own anyway."
What the crap is wrong with me?! How horribly presumptuous of me! When I realized this, I was brought to tears that I had done that to Jesus.
The whole reason Jesus came was because we were unable to reach God on our own. No level of striving would ever get us to a place of perfect holiness to be in relationship with God, because we are full of sin.
Jesus' sacrifice made it so I don't have to be perfect on my own.
His atoning blood covers me, thus making me as already perfect in God's eyes. He cannot love me any more or less.
What I do does not determine how He feels about me.
And because Jesus died for me, there is NOW NO CONDEMNATION! (Rom. 8:1) This is not a future thing, when I get to heaven. This is a NOW thing. I walk in freedom NOW. There is no condemnation NOW.
I don't have to be perfect. I don't have to strive to be "good enough."
Now this doesn't mean I don't still do my best, and try to be holy as He is holy. But it does mean that I don't have to do it in my own power. And it means that when I fall short (and I will), I don't have to listen to the accusing lies of the enemy and wallow in condemnation.
Revelation 12:10 says that Satan stands accusing us day and night before God. If he does that before God, you know he's going to be doing it to us, to make us feel horrible. John 10:10 says that he has come to steal, kill & destroy us. If we are always living in condemnation, it's pretty destructive, and not living the abundant life that Jesus came for us to have.
So there is always going to be this accusing voice from the enemy, unless we refuse to listen to his lies, and instead walk in the truth of the Word of God. And the Word of God says that I am not condemned and I do not have to stay in a place of condemnation, and that I am loved by God-with a perfect love.
So are you striving for perfection & falling short? Have you heard the lies of the enemy putting you down?
Well, rebuke that spirit of accusation and speak out the TRUTH that you are not condemned, that God loves you as you are, and it IS ok to receive and walk in His grace.
YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE PERFECT! Just like I DO NOT HAVE TO BE PERFECT.
So walk in freedom, and remind me when you see me struggling. :)
Check this video out...so good!
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