When I was younger, I loved to colour. I confess, I wasn’t and don’t still look at myself as super creative. However, I remember when I was maybe 5 or 6 I determined in my mind that I was going to do better and that I would colour within the lines so that my picture was literally….at least in my own eyes a picture of “perfection”.
If I am honest with myself, ever since then I’ve been chasing perfection in every other area of my life. At first it was colouring within the lines, later it was achieving at school, then the perfect car (hmm – haven’t done all that great with that one – hahaha), marriage, family, you get the picture.
The problem with that approach is that everything always falls short of perfection and when that happens – how on earth do I deal with it?
The first month of the year is now almost complete and many of us create lists and resolutions. We have visions of perfection dancing in our heads and amid all that, we put pressure on ourselves – pressure that can sometimes morph into thinking that perfection is what God wants from us, as well. Doesn’t the Bible say: “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” (Ephesians 2:10)
Being a masterpiece sounds great, but I will admit I don’t always feel that way. Instead, I can find myself striving to be perfect and ignore the truth found in the second sentence of the verse that reads: Because of Christ, I don’t have to be perfect. If you, like me also struggle with this, you know just how exhausting and how discouraging striving for this unattainable “perfect” is.
Paul himself relates to our struggle when he says in Romans 7:15, “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.” I know what this tension is like! But then in his letters to various churches, he also repeatedly says, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 11:1).
Wait a second – what? How can Paul bridge this gap between the fight with his flesh and following Jesus Christ? Here’s how, it is also covered in one beautiful word, and that word is….GRACE.
Paul often bookends his letters with beautiful blessings of grace. For a long time, I struggled with grace – giving and receiving it (I confess I am far from arrived on this – it is a continual process of failing, moving forward, failing and moving forward). I was hard on others because I was hard on myself. If I wasn’t perfect, I felt like I was a mistake; and what happens when feel like a mistake instead of a masterpiece? Maybe this will help answer that question for you today…I pray it blesses – G.R.A.C.E.
G – GIVE YOURSELF A MOMENT – We are human, so it’s normal to be upset when things don’t go as planned. Grieve, and then, when the time comes, move on.
R- REMEMBER GOD LOVES YOU – Paul starts off Ephesians 2 by describing how God is rich in mercy and love (verse 4). We are not a masterpiece because of anything we’ve done or who we are. It is all because of who Jesus is and HIS amazing grace.
A – ACKNOWLEDGE WHAT DIDN’T GO WELL – Sometimes mistakes happen, but that doesn’t mean you are a mistake. What didn’t go the way you wanted it to? Learn from it, “No matter how many times you trip them up, God-loyal people don’t stay done long; soon they’re up on their feet…” (Proverbs 24:16, MSG)
C – CELEBRATE WHAT DID GO WELL – Peter in the Bible gets picked on a lot. One of those famous stories is in Matthew 14, when he saw Jesus walking on the water. We often focus on Peter sinking, but we don’t remember this part: “…Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.” (Matthew 14:29). No one else could say they walked on water, but Peter could!!
E – ENCOURAGE YOURSELF – The second greatest commandment is to “Love your neighbour as yourself.” (Matthew 12:31a). Dear friends, we don’t always love ourselves well, but we need to. What would you tell your child, sister, brother, or friend if they messed up? Tell yourself the same thing. If it is true for them, it is equally true for you.
We are all a unique masterpiece…perfected by Jesus, loved by God and covered in HIS grace.
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