God Gives You Hope Whenever You're Imperfect -

Do you ever feel like you’ve lost hope because you’re imperfect? Do you fall flat on your face more than you’d like?

God is an amazing God because he gives you hope whenever you’re imperfect. He wants you to come to Him, just as you are, for sanctification and renewal.

Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect. Matthew 5:48

You want so badly to be perfect just like this verse is talking about. Instead, why are you struggling with your imperfect sinful nature?

So many other moms seem to have it all together with perfect husbands and kids who are always well-behaved (the kids that is) and everything falls beautifully into place.

Meanwhile, you know you shouldn’t have snapped back at your husband, and your kids are trying your patience every waking moment.

Do people really live perfect lives as the pictures show us on Facebook?

God Gives Hope to the Imperfect Mom

Jesus responds to a question from the Pharisees as a result of the time he spent with tax collectors and sinners. Sinners, like you and me?!

When Jesus heard that, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” Matthew 9:12-13

Life was far from perfect at my house when our kids were growing up. I had no idea how to handle some of the situations that I faced and many things didn’t turn out the way I’d hoped.

When your kids grow up and things don’t turn out the way you had envisioned, there’s so much room for disillusionment and discouragement. It’s a battlefield that the evil one uses for his attacks.

The Pharisees were living in self-proclaimed righteousness and judgmentally attacked Jesus when he sat down and spent time with the unholy tax collectors. They were sinners and the ‘righteous’ Pharisees knew it.

Jesus made an amazing reply to the Pharisees by declaring his reason for coming to earth. It sure wasn’t to hang out with righteous people. That group of people does not need Jesus. They are making their own way to heaven (so they hope) through all the good things they are doing.

We aren’t saved by our good deeds or righteousness. We fall so short!

We are totally imperfect!

And I’m no different than you!!

I need grace to receive the hope that God has for me!!

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. Ephesians 2:8-9

Worry Over Your Past Sins

Do you worry over your past sins as if you could go back and change it all?

You are human and bound to make mistakes and even sin along your journey to heaven.

The Pharisees never would have cheated and stolen money as the tax collectors did. It was obvious that the tax collectors were sinners in the worst way!

There are still Pharisees alive today, they still judge those around them and compare them to their righteousness. You can find them in just about any church!

After some words said to me recently, I went through something too deep to explain. The worry went into waves of anxiety that were relentless and impossible to shake.

After this turmoil going on in my head for several weeks, I determined in my heart that it needed to end.

Do you relate to this? Are you struggling because of something that happened in your life? Something in your past?

When I was younger, I realized one day that if I lived into my 90s, I (still) would be imperfect and sometimes fail in what I wanted to be for Christ. I was devastated.

But then it occurred to me that I wouldn’t want to be perfect at 90-something.

It’s my propensity to be imperfect that keeps me on my face and seeking God with all of my heart.

I never want to stop searching for God. Not ever!

Hope Whenever You’re Imperfect

The fact that you are imperfect is NOT a ticket to living any way you want!

You are on a journey and the immediate result is growing in righteousness and holiness found in Jesus. You can’t earn righteousness through the things you did.

The Pharisees tried that and it didn’t work out so well.

Your righteousness is found in Jesus and nowhere else.

If you are struggling with past sin as I have been, is it confessed sin?

The reason for asking is if so, the evil one wants to kill, steal, and destroy (John 10:10) what God is doing in your life.

The devil knows you’re imperfect and wants to throw it in your face because you missed the mark.

Whenever you’re worrying over your past imperfections, you can do what I did. I’m fighting back with Bible verses that I put together.

Each day for one month, I’m writing out and journaling about a verse or two on the goodness of God and some other things to solidify my faith.

Renewing Your Mind Whenever You’re Imperfect

Whenever your mind wanders to a place of worry about your past, take up your armor and start renewing your mind.

Worry starts in your head and swirls around until it affects your mental and physical health. It even gets you off course spiritually.

You Are Enough Bible Reading Plan (FREE)

I created the You Are Enough Bible Reading Plan to help me focus on the goodness of God. There is nothing better than God’s Word for kicking worry to the curb!

“Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? Matthew 6:25-26

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28

These are a few of the verses I wrote out and illustrated to fight my battle against worry caused by my imperfection.

Praying back Scripture as you write the verses out is a powerful way of getting your focus back onto Jesus.