It’s okay to be imperfect.
Some days I have to remind myself that, over and over again….. “it’s okay…..”
Much of our society these days makes us feel like we as women, moms, daughters….even little girls…..need to portray an image of perfection.
We have our media to thank for that.
We can’t turn on the TV or read a magazine in line at the grocery store without being told that through the photoshopped advertisements, articles and commercials.
Sometimes we even have ourselves to thank for that….
But I am not a perfect woman.
I am not a perfect wife.
And I’m most definitely not a perfect mom.
I struggle against my own expectations and those I feel put on by others and society in general.
I struggle against my feelings of just not being “enough..”
Good enough
Smart enough
Funny enough
Entertaining enough
Kind enough
Caring enough
Intentional enough
Enough, enough, enough….
But I realize the older I get……I can’t be enough.
I’m going to make mistakes.
I’m going to fail at things I set out to accomplish….
Everyone wants to go through life making all the right decisions, never failing at anything, never disappointing anyone….
But let me suggest that it’s okay not to be perfect.
And let me go a little farther and say that it’s okay for our children to see us not being “perfect.”
It’s in those opportunities we have the freedom to teach our children about grace. To teach them that God doesn’t expect mommy and daddy to be perfect just like God doesn’t expect them to be perfect either.
Mommy and daddy’s love doesn’t go away when they mess-up…..and neither does God’s.
Ahhh… to release them from the burden of having to be perfect.
That burden is heavy…….it drains ones energy and zest for life.
God does not put that burden upon our shoulders….we do.
In Matthew 11:28-29 Jesus says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest… for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”
Jesus doesn’t want perfection out of us or our children. He wants a relationship…….and relationships aren’t perfect.
We see that in all the great Old Testament stories of the bible…..no one lived a perfect life besides Jesus.
Jesus paid the price to release us from the bondage of living a perfect life.
Jesus wants a relationship.
A relationship built on trust……trust in Him, in His promises…..He wants our hearts, our love, our devotion, and yes, our obedience……..but our obedience out of our love for Him and our desire to bring Him glory through our lives.
Not our obedience because of our need to look or be perfect.
This month as we celebrate our nation’s freedom….let’s also celebrate the freedom we have from the burden of being perfect. The freedom purchased by the one who is perfect and who shed his blood for those who aren’t.
Freedom from having to be perfect!
Now that’s something to celebrate!
How can you pass this freedom onto your children?
