“The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.”
Perfectionism can limit and resist the freedom that we are born for. The root under the surface is pride and of not revealing what is broken or less than perfect in our lives or performance.
We can be reminded by the painstaking Japanese art of mending a broken pot visibly with pure gold and it’s value has more worth. There is no attempt to hide the breakage. It is preserved as part of its history not hidden.
Our perfection is not in what we can do but in what Jesus can do. With humility we submit our control to Him the perfect or of all things.
Someone driven by self righteousness is exposing a heart of perfectionism as the elder brother portrayed in the Prodigal Son parable.
He chose to be offended by the celebrations of the younger wayward brother’s return. He chose not to see that he had been in possession of all The Father had, irrespective of his behaviour or striving.
“But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, but he answered his father, ‘Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends.”
We can choose bondage again when Jesus has already freed us.
The terms of relationship with God are equal for all of us. He bids us be those who love and rejoice in and for one another.
God stirs up miracles in the pools of tears. Our softness an antidote to any fear of rejection in an imperfection.
His lavish kindness draws true repentance over and above His righteousness.
Pursuing perfectionism makes us incapable of receiving kindness. We do not perceive Him Truly when we consider we have to earn His kindness, love and mercy.
We have already won the prize. It was wondrously given. Love triumphs over everything. Christ’s blood covers everything.
His perfection is enough. We operate in our brokenness but best and it is enough.
A divine exchange.
The illustration shows us as the imperfect, broken pot made beautifully, visibly perfect by the gold of God’s grace and mercy and through His eye, to emanate light that pushes back the darkness.
Two Scriptures that come to mind:
“The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.” Exodus 34:6-7 ESV
“But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, but he answered his father, ‘Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends.” Luke 15:28-29 ESV
The song. Beautifully Broken. Plumb
Lessisgreater 