For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Ephesians 2:10

Sweet friend, welcome back. I pray the Biblical truths shared in the past two posts have given you relief from the paralyzing effects of perfectionism.

Today I have another confession to share about perfection and usefulness and some more Biblical truth to help us blast our way free of the traps the enemy sets for us. Here we go:

Confession: Sometimes I tie my usefulness in God’s Kingdom to my ability to perfectly obey God.

Beloved, I am a redeemed spirit walking around in unredeemed flesh.

Un-Christlike thoughts dart across my mind and sometimes I entertain one for a while. Seeds of un-Christlike desire drop into the soil of my heart and sometimes a decent sized weed pops up before I notice there’s an invasive plant in the garden. It sounds silly, but that’s why I stopped watching home-improvement shows – one day I found an entire envy tree in the garden of my heart, an envy tree that consumed our finances on home enhancements that were wants far more than they were needs.

But here’s the thing – because I experience un-Christlike thoughts or desires and sometimes I let one linger or act out of one, I catch myself believing that God doesn’t want my devotion or can’t use my service until I am perfectly free of un-Christlike thoughts, feelings, or deeds. I convince myself that until I am completely obedient, 100% sin-free, I am not useful to God or His Kingdom plan.

God’s Truth: God doesn’t require perfect obedience to serve Him or His Kingdom.

Dear heart, do you know who wants you to believe that you can’t devote your life to God or can’t serve God until you are perfectly obedient, until your daily performance is completely sin free?

The enemy of our souls.

Why?

Because if we believe that God doesn’t want our devotion or service until we are perfect, then none of us would ever devote our lives to Him or serve Him or His Kingdom.

I figure the enemy sees it like this: the fewer people who talk to God or worship God or serve God, the more battles that snake in the grass will win here on earth.

Remember what I said earlier this week – Perfection paralyzes.

Believer, if you’re waiting to serve God until you’re perfectly obedient to Him, then you will never serve.

Let’s hit the highlight reel on some imperfect people that God used to complete His perfect plan:

• Abraham and Sarah doubted God’s promise for a child.
• Judah was instrumental in selling Joseph into slavery.
• Moses resisted God’s initial call, complained to God about the people he led, and disobeyed God while getting water.
• David had a man killed so he could marry his wife (that he’d also slept with and gotten pregnant by the way).
• Esther bulked out of fear at defending her people before her husband, the King.
• Matthew was a tax collector (despised in his time). Peter was a doubter. Judas was a traitor.
• Mary, called Magdalene, one of Jesus’ closest followers, was possessed by 7 demons at one point.
• The woman at the well had been divorced several times and was living with some other guy.
• Saul who became Paul hunted, persecuted, and killed early Christians.

The Bible is filled with imperfect people, people who disobeyed God – which we call sinning – and yet God used them all. Everyone in the list above played an instrumental role in the fulfillment of God’s redemptive plan through Jesus Christ and/or the telling of the Gospel.

Beloved, the only perfectly obedient person in the entire Bible is Jesus Christ, fully man and fully God. Everyone else is fully man and fully sinful and flawed and – still – God used them in the delivery of His perfect gift of salvation.

God says it so clearly in Ephesians 2:10:

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Created in Christ Jesus for good works…

Believer, our qualification for service is not in our ability to live a sin-free life. Our qualification for service is in Christ Jesus. When we look at Ephesians 2:10, we see that God prepared Kingdom work for you and Kingdom work for me, beforehand.

God isn’t waiting for you or for me to become perfect Christians so He can use us. The moment you and I believed on Jesus Christ He sealed us for God’s Kingdom and God’s Kingdom work.

God is only waiting on one thing – for you and for me to step up and be useful, to devote our lives, flawed as they may be, to Him and His Kingdom purpose.

Now, in all truth and with a spirit of love, I also have to share that while sin does not disqualify us from serving God, it can really throw a wrench in the works.

God will not tolerate a defiant or unrepentant attitude (Romans 2:6-8; Revelation 2:5).

I can tell you from experience that the quickest way to become a miserable servant is to knowingly disobey the Master. David describes the misery of disobedience and unrepentance as a bone deep ache, a wasting away (Psalm 32). Sin also harms our ability to witness to others or to serve them in Jesus’ name (Hebrews 12:1-2).

John says it really well in 1 John 3:8-10 when he cautions against making a practice of sinning. As receivers of God’s grace and salvation, we are to make a practice of obeying God and avoid sinning against Him or others. That doesn’t mean we won’t ever entertain a sinful thought or even never actively sin, but it does mean that we need to turn ourselves around (that’s what repent means by the way), ask God for forgiveness, and get ourselves back to practicing obedience instead.

Put simply, perfection is not required to live a life devoted to God, but we are happier, healthier servants in God’s Kingdom when we actively practice obeying God’s commands.

So sweet friend, take it from this recovering perfectionist – don’t wait until you’re perfectly obedient to devote your time, your talent, your treasure, your entire life to the Lord. God loves you just as you are (remember while we were yet sinners) and He loves you too much to leave you that way.

Commit to Him today. Serve Him today. He’ll do the rest because you are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works. Let God help you walk in those good works today.