Steven Lee Adapted
Most of us would like to have everything perfect and ideally achieve perfection. We are also surrounded by people and institutions that strengthen this ‘culture of perfectionism’. Her voices tell us: Get your next education and degree, get to the next rung of the company ranking, add another point to your CV. Success is everything, failure is out of the question.
An unexpected battle cry in our modern world happened: ‘Do it better!’. Better technology that will improve our lives, the constant pursuit of self-improvement. Perfection, success and constant progress have become the new holy trinity!
But what happens if we fail? What if we fail completely? What if we disappoint ourselves and don’t even reach a reasonable level? What then?
perfectly impossible
To begin with, we can remember that as sinners we all know well by nature.
– Although God tells us: Be holy, for I am holy. (Leviticus/Mayors 11:45 a.m.), At the same time we have – All have sinned and are far from God (Romans 3:23). We are not enough to do it. We are not naturally obedient and do not fulfill his will. We can’t grit our teeth to handle everything. We do not overcome sin by mere force of will and determination. We are not perfect. We need his grace and above all his!
Our imperfection reminds us that we need Jesus. We need his justice. (2 Cor 5:21). Without it we are not complete and can only do what is insufficient. In our own strength we cannot make God happy. (Jews 11:6). Our inadequacy and inability to achieve what we desire show us that we need God.
Disappointment is an undeniable part of life in our fallen world. We plant gardens that are destroyed by diseases, beetles or rodents. Or we embark on work projects that end in spectacular failure, study for exams, and even if we study hard, sometimes we fail. We will disappoint ourselves and others. We do not follow our own standards. Such is life in a fallen world. And that should remind us that we are not God, but He is. Even if failure occurs without our intervention, it may remind us that we are sinners and that we are insufficient. He himself is perfect and we need his grace, strength and wisdom.
Apart from this fundamental understanding, however, God can also teach us other things when we fail. Let’s think about some Other lessons we can take away from failure:
1. God demonstrates His power through our weakness
The apostle Paul was captivated to the third heaven and saw ineffable glory, but at the same time he had a certain physical weakness that kept him humble.
2 Cor 12:7-10 God showed me so much that he had to Add even one torment so I don’t be proud: it’s a pain that, as a messenger of Satan, is supposed to keep reminding me that I’m just a deadly human worm. I begged God three times to rid me of it, but he refused. ‘I’m with you, you don’t need more,’ he replied. ‘My power will stand out the more the weaker you.’ So I like my illness and I am proud of the fact that it is on its background that Christ’s strength is so clearly demonstrated in me. I serve Christ’s thing with all. A I get my greatest strength when I’m at the end of my own strength.
It was not just an attack of insomnia or a minor back pain, but a torturous thorn – Satan’s messenger, which was harassing and tormenting. This pain penetrated like a hell of a pit. It was given to him to carry out her good intention in Paul: ‘It is enough for you my grace – that I am with you. My power will stand out the more you yourself become weaker.’ (2 Corinthians 12:9). God sometimes makes us physically weaker to show his strength and power.
2 Corinthians 4:7-18 We are only fragile vessels in which God placed the beautiful treasure. Everyone must immediately know that That special power does not come from man, but from God.
Although we are attacked from all sides, we are not subject to.
Sometimes we are at a loss and don’t know how to proceed, but we don’t give up.
We tend to be annoyed like wildlife, but we feel that God is with us.
Crashing to the ground, we get up again and move on.
Suffering and death do not escape us, just as they did not escape Christ.
After all, we, if we live, are still given to death for Jesus, But just in such a situation the life of Jesus is most evident in us.
…Because I have known the power of God, I cannot be deterred from the proclamation of God’s message. unabled End by Paul
That’s why we don’t give up . Although we are subject to destruction on the outside, we are renewed inside every day. What we have to go through today is, after all, still tolerable and will soon pass. accordingly The joy that awaits us overcomes all human imagination, and is eternal, is endless. Our future is not based on what can be seen and felt because everything material is fleeting. We build on the foundations of the invisibles, because Only those are permanent.
We are allergic to failure and weakness. We ask God to make us strong. We ask him to restore our strength so that we can run and not be tired (Isaiah 40:31). However, God can answer such a prayer by revealing our weaknesses and limitations. Paul’s suffering showed God’s all-overcoming greatness in a way that Paul’s power could never have done. The fact that Paul had done so much despite (or better thanks) this pain showed that it was God who worked through him.
So let’s learn to accept imperfection, failure and weakness. God may show us his grace and goodness in these moments. Our limitations teach us difficult A lesson in humble addiction.
the 2. God uses other standards of success
God does not measure success as the world defines it: large bank accounts, luxury housing and facilities, trophies or titles.
On the contrary, Jesus warns us to try to win the whole world – wealth, entertainment, comfort, glory and success – because In doing so, we will never achieve true fulfillment and joy anyway. What will benefit a person if he gains the whole world and loses his real life? What can balance the value of eternal life? (Mat 16:26)
Giving your life to Jesus is what will bring endless reward.
Earth’s success is not How God Measures Success
Instead, Jesus says: You have proven yourself in a small task, so I can entrust you with much more. (Matthew 25:21). God measures success by how faithful we are, How we prove ourselves, with what we have. Anyone who is reliable (faithful) in small things is reliable even in essential things. And he who is dishonest in little things fails even in serious matters. byLuke 16:10)
We strive for success as God defines it? We can be relied on with what he entrusted us with – our time, talents and his treasures? Or we received false weights and measurements of this world?
It will be the result of our work that we hear his words: ‘Excellent, good and faithful servant! You were faithful in little, I will entrust you with many. Come in and rejoice with your Lord.’ (Mat 25:23)
So let’s postpone the pursuit of perfection according to the ideas of this world.
3. What defines us is how God sees us
In Jesus we are not defined by our success or failure. Our value does not lie in what we own. Our reputation, resume or pension amount do not determine our value. Whatever we are is, thank God, because of how he helps us and what he does for us.
Paul writes: But God has mercy on me and only By His Grace I am what I am. And it was not in vain: I did much more work than everyone else. But what am I saying – not me, but God, of whom I was an instrument. (1 Cor 15:10). What is that, Pavel? – Did you work hard or was it out of grace? Paul’s answer is yes, both. He did a lot, and yet he did so by grace. We too should strive, work and act – knowing that it is God who works in us. God himself works in you, so that you not only want to, but also do what he likes! (Philipsky 2:13).
We are not defined by success or failure. God and His grace define us, which works in us. This grace strengthens us and gives us the strength to work hard, and reminds us that success comes only from God. So we work, but our hope does not lie in our abilities. We live and work thanks to God who works in us.
4. God’s Spirit inspires quality work
Although we cannot be perfect, We are not created or reconciled to mediocrity.
We don’t settle for poor quality, we don’t want to be below average, we don’t do anything that is barely passable.
When the tent of the meeting was to be set up (when they didn’t have a temple yet), God told Moses that he called Bezel. unabled He filled it with God’s Spirit – skill, wit and knowledge of each craft, to make plans and carry out them in gold, silver and bronze to work and plant gems, work on wood and master each Craft. (Exodus -2 Moses 31:3-5). God’s Spirit prepared the best craftsmen to build their earthly dwelling. Similarly, God calls and equips his children filled with spirit to build, create and undertake great works. God does not give these skills to invoke earthly appreciation, but to reveal the beauty of him who created all. He is the main architect who challenges us, To imitate him and take spiritual authority over this great world.
In the paper, Pavel reminds Koloský that our work is ‘For the Lord, and not for the people’. (Col 3,23-24). Whatever you do, do it sincerely (with all your soul), As if it wasn’t to the people, but for the Lord. After all, you will also receive the final reward from him, a share in his kingdom. After all, Christ is your real master.
So we don’t believe the lies about perfection and also reject the lie about mediocrity. On the contrary, whatever we do, we do with all our heart and with all our soul, with all our strength – for Jesus.
imperfectly perfect
God does not need our perfection. Such an effort undermines our need and strengthens our self-sufficiency. God, on the other hand, accepts the humble, whom he then exalts at the right moment. Humble yourself before the Lord, and he will exalt you. (Jakub 4:10) And so bow down under God’s strong hand and God will lift you up when the time comes. Leave all your fears and worries to him, after all You are the center of his interest. (1 Pet 5:6 and 7)
When we fail, we trust that God will not leave us, but will fight for us, because he loves us so much. God will finish the match for me; Your love, Lord, lasts forever. (Psalm 138,8).
Even if we are not perfect, we have the perfect Savior who invites us to receive his perfect work. He gives us his empowering spirit to enable us work in the power it provides us To his glory.
We do not work for human praise or indicators of earthly success. Place of this we work for Jesus and create what is beautiful for Him.
And so, if we ever disappoint ourselves again, we can calmly immerse ourselves in Jesus’ love and perfection.
And as his spirit-given children, with all our strength, skills and knowledge, we still try to make him manifest in us in everything, but We rest in the Hime and in the fact that we are imperfect, but loved, covered by the love of Jesus and filled with his strength, and thus equipped to make him happy with his whole life.
