Romans 5:18-21
18 Therefore just as one man’s trespass led to condemnation for all, so one man’s act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all. 19 For just as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so through the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. 20 But law came in, so that the trespass might increase, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, 21 so that, just as sin reigned in death, so grace might also reign through justification leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Being okay with not being perfect is something that I have struggled with in my own life. I like to get things right. And, when I don’t get things right, I can be particularly hard on myself in self-judgment. Sometimes that bent towards perfection is ingrained in us from childhood and a hard thing to shake. When you like things a certain way or the “right” way, it is often very uncomfortable to let something go and be okay an error or mistake. Some folks can go the other way and find little investment in something and easily move through mistakes and you wish that they would care or invest a bit more in themselves.
One of the things that I most appreciate about the theology of John Calvin, who is considered one of the parents of Presbyterianism, is how much he acknowledged the inevitability of sin. No matter how hard we try, we must make mistakes. God tried so many things to help us choose the right path. There are laws and prophets and kings and stories that point us again and again to what we are supposed to be doing and yet we will continue to sin. That is what makes the gift of Jesus so incredibly special. Through sending God’s son, God is telling us that God knows it is hard to be a human and we are forgiven and loved regardless of our choices. For those of us that are hard on ourselves, we have to remember to love ourselves just as God loves us and remind us that it is okay not to be perfect.
Prayer
Loving and forgiving God, we thank you for your boundless grace. There are times when we try so hard to get everything right and are incredibly hard on ourselves when we don’t hit the mark. Thank you for loving us anyway and reminding us to hold ourselves in grace just as you do. In your Son’s Name, Amen.