You Are Not Perfect!

How many people do you know who are perfect and never make a mistake? Thoughts of past failures can be very defeating. So many times, our past failures, mistakes and shortcomings hinder us from receiving God's promises.

No, we are not perfect; we don't always measure up and we often fall short. That's why we needed a savior who not only paid the price for our eternal life but also paid the price for our sins. Just as eternal life is freely given, so also is forgiveness.

But, many times Christians measure their worth and value to God by how they live their lives. That is a trap, because since no one is perfect and everyone falls short, eventually, over time, your worth and value to God in your mind will end up at zero.

On the one hand, you have promise after promise of God's help, deliverance, prosperity and healing all clearly stated in the Bible. But on the other hand, you have people who simply do not feel worthy to receive God's help because they have fallen short and have made mistakes. To make matters worse, they have been told that they are unworthy and cannot expect any help from God.

Some good intentioned but misinformed Christians look at others and are convinced that God is not going to help them anymore. That kind of thinking comes from those who preach and teach that we are righteous before God by what we do. If we do that which is right then we are righteous before God. If we don't do that which is not right, then we are not righteous before God.

That is certainly not a gospel of deliverance; rather, it is a gospel of bondage. Do you know why? Because you can never quite do enough, so you'll never be quite good enough - you will always have more to do.

Now hold on a minute! Just where in the Bible does it say that the promises from God are only available to those who are perfect and never sin? It doesn't say that or even remotely imply it. It's a good thing too, because people who are perfect and never make a mistake don't exist!

I'm a parent and maybe you are too. Do we as parents disown our children when they make a mistake? "That's it; you get nothing more from me!" Someone acting like that would certainly be a cruel parent!

Consider for a moment that as Christians, God is our Father and we are His children. That's the relationship that He chose to have with us. Is not our Father God far more superior to any earthly parent?

If God determined that His relationship with His people should be that of a Father, and you are His child, then, regardless of your mistakes, you are still His child and you are still worth everything to Him!

Value and worth are determined by the price paid, the cost. The price paid for you and for I was the life of God's only Son, Jesus Christ. That was the highest price ever paid!

Now, of course, a child could leave home and want nothing to do with their parents. But if that child turned back to their parents for help and asked for forgiveness, if they were good parents, then the help and forgiveness would be there!

Would God do any less than a good parent would do?

His help, protection, prosperity, healing, deliverance and all that He has promised is available for you! You didn't earn it and neither did I. You don't deserve it, and neither do I. But, because He is our Father, He thinks that we are indeed worth it.

So, as far as being good enough, you already are! The Bible says that as a born again one, God made you righteous. That means that you are right in His eyes! That makes you good enough.

Regardless of our falling short, you and I have worth and value to God beyond all the treasures of this world. You are worth it. God will help you!