Many Hands Beyond Perfection

God does not want our perfection. (Take a second and read that again!) God has never wanted our perfection; rather, God has been after our devotion and heart. The only thing in the Bible that is considered perfect is God; and even then, God has instances of modeling forgiveness and penance. Again, God does not want our perfection. What God possibly hopes for is our many hands united in worship and service FOR God, each other and our neighbors. What does your struggle with perfection look like?

For a good portion of my life, I have struggled with perfectionism. Does this sound familiar to you? If I am perfect in what I say and do, then I will be worthy of recognition. If I am perfect then no one can have anything to say against me, and I don’t need to be afraid of being wrong, hurt, or embarrassed when things don’t go right. If I am perfect then I control my own destiny and can do the work of God.

My own perfectionism comes from various experiences in which I thought my value, security and participation in God’s work were discredited because I was not what others perceived as ‘good enough.’ And I am still wrestling with those false narratives.

Yet, I restate this truth: God does not want our perfection. Rather, God made each of us good and invites us to share in community together where our community is a space and place where people can experience love, grace, and embrace together using our many hands to make light work of what we cannot do alone. Again, in scripture nothing is considered perfect other than God. And when people could think that they are proven incorrect. Consider these words from Paul:

“If anyone else has reason to be confident in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, a member of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. Yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ. More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as shit (yes, that’s the proper translation) in order than I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but one that comes from faith of Christ, the righteousness from God based on faith” (Philippians 3:4b-9).

While Paul has grounds to stand on for boasting over others in his strivings of life; it is nothing compared to being found in Christ and the communities of Christ through which God uses him for the advancement of the Gospel! Paul knows that he cannot do everything; and so, he unites his hands and works with others to make light work of God’s spreading of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

I’m not a perfect person. As far as my preaching, I know I’m not perfect. I’m not the most vocal singer and try my best and chanting. I’m not the best teacher. Nor am I perfect at remembering everything. That does not mean that I will not try my hardest. In God’s eyes, I am good enough for the work that God has called me to do; and God completes me in all you. And I pray that I help complete you in your lives too!

When I lift up for us heading forward in stewardship and our shared lives together, I need your hands. I need your presence and gifts because I cannot do it all myself. I need you and your gifts and time and treasures to make God’s work light for all to enter into! I pray that you hear this as God inviting you to set aside the perception of perfection you think you need to be, have, do in order to participate in God’s work; and realize that God unites us all together to do the good work of the Gospel FOR God’s glory, FOR the betterment of our world, and FOR the living witness to God’s love, grace, and embrace FOR all.