No One's Perfect

We’ve all heard the statement from people who don’t claim to be a Christian, “How could you do that, I thought you were a Christian?”  Well if you’ve been around Christianity at all you’ve seen first hand the reality that NO Christian is perfect or even in the same universe as perfect. 

So why does the world expect that? Why are they so appalled when a believer falls? Maybe it’s because we as Believers spend way too much time pointing our boney finger at them with condemnation to spare for their sinful behavior all the while doing the same….hypocrisy is a nasty little attitude.

Why would one Believer say that to another when they fail too? Are we expecting perfection, which we ourselves are completely incapable of? Of course it’s so much easier to criticize others than correct our own faults. We want grace while handing out judgment.  Such is human nature. 

I understand as believers we should be growing and laying down sinful behaviors as we mature in Christ. The longer one is saved the more expectation of overcoming certain things.  A greater standard in Scripture is placed on those that are in full-time Ministry and rightfully so. 

But….I’m talking about the underlying judgment railed at those who fall from those who, you know….fall. What the heck? We all do it, even if we don’t say it out loud.  We like to do what is easy (excuse our sin) while expecting others to do what is hard (never fail). 

We tend to excuse our failures because after all our hearts were right (really??) while condemning others for the same action.  Phillipians 3:12 states, “ Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.”

When we do that we are actually judging another’s heart motive. When in reality no one knows our heart motives but Jesus.  When we are saved we don’t go from sinner to saint, we go from dead to alive, and it’s all uphill from there.

Maybe its just time that we all gave each other a break; life is hard.  We all had a crappy childhood (those of you who didn’t please just be thankful and don’t tell me about it lol) we all have hard things happen as adults and we are just trying to get through it, trying the best we know how.  

There is a time to call someone out on his or her behavior. But you can’t speak loving correction into someone’s life that you do not have a relationship with. A relationship of love and trust that enables them to hear you and know you really love them and are pointing out their fault to help them.  I love those in my life that can say the hard things to me and visa versa. We all need those relationships.  

However, if you don’t have that kind of relationship with someone you see a fault in, your job as a believer is to first PRAY for him or her; hold him or her up to God and ask Him to show him or her their fault and help them to overcome.  Give the grace you would like to receive, love them unconditionally. 

No one is perfect, we all need grace; and just maybe as we extend that to others we will find ourselves failing less often….that little lesson took me a good while to learn, not that I’m stubborn at all….I’m thankful for the grace God extended to me in my own journey which now I try to give to others.