Posts Tagged: Genesis 1-3
“Perfectly Imperfect”
Here is a somewhat revised report I sent to my sponsors and accountability team this morning:
“No violations and no secrets.
Today, with God’s help, I am doing at least 5 things I need to do and 5 things I enjoy doing. Some of them will be the same. The challenge goal is to do 10 things in each category. I’ve already done several in both categories.
I did not do as well yesterday, I suspect. However, today is another day to try to get this thing called “life” right. Perhaps I will never get it entirely right, but if I did, I might become more puffed up than I am and be a real jerk. Maybe my imperfections really are an essential part of my perfection. “Perfectly imperfect,” we say. Yes. And “Imperfectly perfect” will work too. Any way you slice it, I am going to keep on striving for perfection. I am also going to keep on missing that mark.
I don’t know, guys. Maybe, for me, this boils down to Genesis 1-3. The story goes that God made humankind in God’s image (Genesis 1). I don’t know what that even means, but I feel as if I’m always trying to live that out. And it is a good goal.
Then, in Genesis 3, we’re told that the humans decided that being created in God’s image wasn’t enough. We wanted more. We wanted to know, wanted to experience, good and evil. We wanted to be like God by being God. And the rest, as they say, is history. That choice wasn’t a good fit for Adam and Eve. It is not a good fit for me, either.
God tried to show us that he loved us just the way we are, but as a species, humans are really slow learners. Finally, God sent his Son into the world to deal with our imperfects perfectly.
So, for today, here is my affirmation: Today, with God’s help, I am content and at peace with my quest to live out God’s image in my own perfectly imperfect way.
I am posting this near the end of my day. Sure enough, I was perfectly imperfect. It is quite likely that you were, too. And that is good enough.
DOWN TO EARTH BELIEVER
- “Even a Sliver of Light” April 9, 2024“For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” (2 Corinthians 5:6, English Standard Version) I missed the total eclipse yesterday. There were a number of good reasons for this, but […]
- “The Process in Miracles and the Miracle of Process” March 11, 2024“2 Kings 5:1 Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master and in high favor, because by him the LORD had given victory to Syria. He was a mighty man of valor, but he was a leper. 2 Now the Syrians on one of their raids […]
- “The Power of Encouragement—Even for Old People” March 10, 2024“But encourage each other every day while it is ‘today.’ Help each other so none of you will become hardened because sin has tricked you.” (Hebrews 3:13, New Century Version) Yesterday, I was walking at a nearby park. There was a large group of young people some of whom were running while other young people […]
- “Endurance” March 10, 2024“For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised.” (Hebrews 10:36, English Standard Version) “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us […]
- “The Limits of Non-Judgmentalism” February 24, 2024“Matt. 7:1 “Judge not, that you be not judged. Matt. 7:2 For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.” (Matthew 7:1-2, English Standard Version) This morning, in my virtual 12-step meeting, we discussed the topic of judgmentalism. There were many wise […]
- “Delighting in Being Told What to Do?!?” February 23, 2024“Psa. 112:1 Praise the LORD! Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who greatly delights in his commandments! 2 His offspring will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed. 3 Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures […]
- “Character is the Real Lesson” January 19, 2024I am often confused about what lesson I’m really supposed to be learning. For example, this morning I was trying to knock out several Spanish lessons. My intentions were a lot better than my internet connection. I’ve done three lessons. Or rather, I’ve done two lessons. One of them I did twice because the internet […]
- “The Year of Becoming Un-Planked” January 1, 2024Each year, I try to come up with one word or a short phrase for what I intend to work on in the upcoming year. 2024 is “The Year of Becoming Un-Planked”. What?!! What does that even mean? So glad that you asked! Jesus said to his disciples, “Why do you look at the speck […]
- “Searching for the Noble One” December 26, 2023My wife and I were reading Luke, chapter 2 on Christmas Day. Luke 2 talks about the shepherds being told to look for this very special child—in fact, this King—in a stable. I prefer the word “barn”. I grew up on a farm. I know what a barn is. A stable is entirely too biblical […]
- “That Don’t Impress God Much” December 14, 2023DTEB, “That Don’t Impress God Much” “That Don’t Impress Me Much” (Song by Robert John Lange and Shania Twain) Micah 6:8 (MSG) “But he’s already made it plain how to live, what to do, what God is looking for in men and women. It’s quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbor, be […]
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