Good morning!
Seems we can focus on this topic a lot - a challenge for you to consider God’s Word around worry and anxiousness; seeking to be perfect. I think it is probably okay to spend frequent time on this area as living in a challenging world generates a lot of situations that can stimulate worry. Recently for me this includes worry and anxiety over health concerns. That said God shares the following with us:
I had read a book by Shauna Niequist called “Present Over Perfect” a few years ago now.
As her book delves into the topic of perfection and worry, many of us probably worry about how perfectly we are serving Christ, how perfect we are as a Christian, how perfect we look on Facebook. Rather than focusing on our relationships – first with Jesus and then with those around us.
All of this would suggest that we do worry and that part of what we worry about is whether we have done enough – have we served enough for Christ. From scripture we know that is not how it works – anxiety, worrying and striving for perfection is not what earns us salvation. That comes through saying yes in our hearts to the gift that God put in front of us in His Son Jesus Christ, yes to a daily relationship with Jesus – yes to the fact He did all the work – all the “Perfect” work on our behalf.
In our striving to be perfect we often times lose ourselves, make bad decisions that impact our health, our relationships, the quality of our work and the quality of our relationship with God. Christ falls from the center and we replace Him with some ideal of what perfect is and we chase that. Of course, in doing so, we have a created an idol, a false little “g” god.
All of that drives us to sicken ourselves, to worry, to be anxious in our living. The scripture above from Matthew has Jesus sharing with his disciples that worrying does nothing for us – the life and days that God planned for us does not change. In 1 Peter we hear that God wants us to set worry in front of Him. And in Philippians, as we go to Jesus in prayer, we receive the peace of God which will protect our hearts and minds. God is so good to us when we turn to Him.
Why, because he cares, which is another way of saying that He loves us!
With the above as a backdrop, something Shauna shared towards the end of her book struck me, so I share it here – maybe it will resonate with you as well:
I hope and pray this morning that this gives you something to reflect on as you consider your relationship with Jesus – putting away the idea of perfection – worrying, anxiety and earning – and accepting the idea that – just giving ourselves to Jesus starts with being “present” with Him – abiding in Him, doing our life with Him.
Jesus, my prayer for each of us as we go into this weekend is that we can set aside the constant worry and anxiety, the constant striving for acceptance and instead just invite Your presence into all we do. Amen!
Have a weekend filled with the Peace that comes from knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
Patrick
Seems we can focus on this topic a lot - a challenge for you to consider God’s Word around worry and anxiousness; seeking to be perfect. I think it is probably okay to spend frequent time on this area as living in a challenging world generates a lot of situations that can stimulate worry. Recently for me this includes worry and anxiety over health concerns. That said God shares the following with us:
- Matthew 6:25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?” (See also Luke 12:22)
- Matthew 6:27 “Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” (See also Luke 12:25)
- Matthew 6:33-34 “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”
- 1 Peter 5:7 “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.”
- Philippians 4:5-7 “Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
I had read a book by Shauna Niequist called “Present Over Perfect” a few years ago now.
As her book delves into the topic of perfection and worry, many of us probably worry about how perfectly we are serving Christ, how perfect we are as a Christian, how perfect we look on Facebook. Rather than focusing on our relationships – first with Jesus and then with those around us.
All of this would suggest that we do worry and that part of what we worry about is whether we have done enough – have we served enough for Christ. From scripture we know that is not how it works – anxiety, worrying and striving for perfection is not what earns us salvation. That comes through saying yes in our hearts to the gift that God put in front of us in His Son Jesus Christ, yes to a daily relationship with Jesus – yes to the fact He did all the work – all the “Perfect” work on our behalf.
In our striving to be perfect we often times lose ourselves, make bad decisions that impact our health, our relationships, the quality of our work and the quality of our relationship with God. Christ falls from the center and we replace Him with some ideal of what perfect is and we chase that. Of course, in doing so, we have a created an idol, a false little “g” god.
All of that drives us to sicken ourselves, to worry, to be anxious in our living. The scripture above from Matthew has Jesus sharing with his disciples that worrying does nothing for us – the life and days that God planned for us does not change. In 1 Peter we hear that God wants us to set worry in front of Him. And in Philippians, as we go to Jesus in prayer, we receive the peace of God which will protect our hearts and minds. God is so good to us when we turn to Him.
Why, because he cares, which is another way of saying that He loves us!
With the above as a backdrop, something Shauna shared towards the end of her book struck me, so I share it here – maybe it will resonate with you as well:
- “…but this is the promise I make to my God: I will never again be so careless, so cavalier with the body and soul you’ve given me.
- They are the only things in all the world that have been entrusted entirely to me, and I stewarded them poorly, worshiping for a time at the altars of productivity, capability, busyness and distraction. This body and soul will become again what God intended them to be: living sacrifices, offered only to Him. I will spend my life on meaning, on connection, on love, on freedom. I will not waste one more day trapped in comparison, competition, proving, and earning. That’s the currency of a culture that has nothing to offer me. [my comments here…chasing things of this world generates worry and anxiety]…
- It is not too strong to say that on this summer morning, sitting at a fire pit on a peninsula on Lake Geneva, I’m offering myself and my whole life, once again, to Jesus, and in that, I’m leaving behind both my tangle with achievement and workaholism and my neglect of my body and my spirit. I’m offering to Jesus a body, a mind, a spirit, a life, a voice, a table.
- Here is the distinction: it is for Him… It is for Jesus. More important it is with Jesus.”
I hope and pray this morning that this gives you something to reflect on as you consider your relationship with Jesus – putting away the idea of perfection – worrying, anxiety and earning – and accepting the idea that – just giving ourselves to Jesus starts with being “present” with Him – abiding in Him, doing our life with Him.
Jesus, my prayer for each of us as we go into this weekend is that we can set aside the constant worry and anxiety, the constant striving for acceptance and instead just invite Your presence into all we do. Amen!
Have a weekend filled with the Peace that comes from knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
Patrick
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