Just for the record, I do not have it all together all the time. Ha! Would you believe there are many days when I feel like I’m a hot mess (hey, it’s a real term just added to the Oxford Dictionary!)? Oh yea…But that’s okay. And that’s the point. The point is to not have to have it all together. And when I am reminded of that, it’s just the place I find myself being overtaken by a flood-tide of Grace and Unconditional Love.
The truth is, we’ve never once had it all together, we were never meant to have it all together and we don’t ever need to try and have it all together. All we were ever meant to do, is to fall into the arms of the Altogether Lovely One (Song of Songs 5:16) and trust Him and all He’s accomplished on our behalf.
Just like two magnets are attracted by their opposite poles, Jesus is attracted to our messes, weaknesses and imperfections. It’s where His plus meets our minus. Yep, when we realize our need for Him, He meets us right where we are with His polar kiss of peace, power, perfection and passionate love.
That’s why when I finally let go of striving, I’m restored and realigned with Truth. I find freedom in loving myself and in letting myself be loved as I am. When I finally come to the end of myself, I find fresh breath from heaven and begin to walk in the gift of His righteousness, not my own. In other words, I’m liberated just by being and accepting myself (imperfections, failures, emotions and all) as I focus on Jesus believing His blood has made me righteous (flawless before God). Because righteousness is not acting a certain way – it’s a Person! Child of God, Jesus is forever your perfection before your Papa. This is the really really really good news! It’s also where most miss it.
Most of us live life daily like there’s a cloud of expectation over our heads. Like there’s this rule-keeping to follow and list to check off; a standard in which to live by in order to please God (a.k.a. self-righteousness)…and disappointment from Him if we don’t.
Ahhhhh!! Can you say, insanity?!
But Jesus came to free us from all that madness! He came to finish what we never could! He IS the Standard who was nailed to a tree to relieve us from all our trying and striving…and acquit us from the guilt and shame that go with it. He is our Substitution who took our badness to give us His goodness.
God will never be mad at or disappointed in you! Just the opposite, He is madly in love with you! So start to see yourself the way He does! Stop looking at all you think you’re not and instead see all that you are; pure gold! If a piece of gold fell in the mud, is it still a pure piece of gold? Of course! It’s the same with us! Sometimes we feel like we are in the miry pit or we fail to see our value and worth because we can only see where we’ve missed it. But that doesn’t change who we are. Once gold, always gold. We just need a little washing off with the Truth; A little polishing by Perfect Love.
“The voice spoke to him a second time, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.”
Acts 10:15 NIV
Beloved, Jesus invites you to relax. Nothing you do or don’t do can ever undo what He’s done! It’s a done deal. You are radically loved as you are, wrapped in His spotless robe, sporting your Father’s family ring of belonging, held in the arms of compassion and fitted with the finest “you-have-every-right-to-be-bold-in-My-smiling-Presence” shoes of peace! (See Luke 15:22-24). Now you can actually enjoy Him and enjoy a real relationship with Him!
So keep it real. Keep coming to Him as you are. Be yourself. Open up. Be vulnerable and share everything. The pressure is off. He is the best friend who knows, understands and accepts every part of you. Believing this is what opens the door to deeper intimacy, healing and wholeness. When you hand over your exhaustion caused by the disease called perfectionism, you’ll find your Calm in the center of your chaos! And while choosing to believe you’re already clean, you may even find yourself dancing right out of the mud!
Resting in His Love,
Annalee Reyes