Imprefect…(oops!) Imperfect People

All of my life I’ve struggled with perfectionism.  More often than not, it’s faulty expectations I’ve put on myself, not that others have placed on me.  

The way my mind often works is like this:  If I make a mistake while playing the piano, I’m a lousy musician. If I forget to do something I promised my husband I’d do, I’m a failure. If I make a decision that impacts things in a bad way, then I’m just stupid. If someone provides feedback on job performance, it just confirms my incompetence.

I often characterize my actions in “all-or-nothing” terms. Not a good place to live as someone who struggles with depression. 

Because of this, I often wonder how God could ever see fit to use such an inadequate person like me. That question was in my mind and in my heart the other day as I was reading through the book of Matthew. It starts out with the first 17 verses listing the genealogy of Christ. 

Now, true confessions here- when I hit lines of lineage in the Bible my eyes glaze over and I usually skim them at best. But this time I slowed down and prayed for the Holy Spirit to really reveal to me what the importance of all these names recorded for us might be. 

As I read through the list and dug a little more deeply into each person’s story I found an unlikely cast of characters to be part of the family line of Jesus Christ~ the Son of God and Messiah.  Almost each and every person mentioned possessed great moments of faith, yet they all also had some pretty big shortcomings.  Take a look… 

Abraham- Showed great leadership, yet he lacked trust in God to provide him a promised heir so he fathered a child with his maidservant out of impatience and fear. 

Isaac- Showed great obedience and trust in God, allowing his father to prepare him as a sacrifice without any hesitation. Yet, he was fearful and lied about his wife Rebekah being his sister to prevent his own death. 

Jacob- Deceived his twin out of his birthright, manipulating his father into providing him the family blessing. But later became known for His strong belief in God’s power. 

Judah- Helped his brothers sell Joseph into slavery, but later offered to take the place of his brother Benjamin to save his life. 

Tamar- Dedicated to securing a rightful heir, yet passed herself off as a prostitute in order to accomplish it. 

Solomon- Possessed great wisdom, but he also engaged in idolatry

Rehoboam- Fortified  many cities under his leadership, but was noted to have done “evil in the eyes of the Lord” relying on his own strength and not God’s power

Jehoshaphat- Sought the Lord and focused on removing idolatry in his kingdom, yet he struggled with creating wicked alliances

Uzziah- Ruled with military might and economic prosperity, starting strong, but pride in his accomplishments ultimately took him down 

All of these people are a reminder of God’s grace and redemption!  More so, they are reminders that the same grace and redemption still apply to my life (and yours, my friend!) 

There’s a quote I’ve seen pop up on social media few times that I just love.  Lisa Bevere  says, "If you think you've blown God's plan for your life, rest in this: You, my beautiful friend, are not that powerful.” 

Just as Ephesians reminds us, our imperfections don’t disqualify us from being used by God, but rather His grace empowers us. 

Ephesians 2:1-10 (ESV)

 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience  among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the flesh and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved  and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,  so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,  not a result of works, so that no one may boast.  For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

I’m so thankful that no matter our shortcomings, God’s redeeming power and grace allow Him to still use imperfect people like me for His glory!  This, my friends, is part of being “freed for more”!