{"id":69281,"date":"2024-08-13T13:19:15","date_gmt":"2024-08-13T18:19:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/?p=69281"},"modified":"2024-08-13T16:32:06","modified_gmt":"2024-08-13T21:32:06","slug":"i-dont-think-ill-ever-be-perfect","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/i-dont-think-ill-ever-be-perfect\/","title":{"rendered":"I don’t think I’ll ever be perfect"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\t

Question:<\/h2>\n

I struggle to keep my heart and thoughts on God through the day. I’ll be doing good for a while, then doubts creep in, saying you won’t ever amount up to God by trying to be perfect, even though Jesus said to be perfect like the Father. I feel as though He’s grown tired of me<\/p>\n\t

Answer:<\/h2>\n

Solomon warned about people striving to obtain something they cannot reach. “Do not be excessively righteous and do not be overly wise. Why should you ruin yourself?<\/em>” (Ecclesiastes 7:16). God understands that everyone sins (Romans 3:23). If someone claims to be without sin, they are lying. “If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. … If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us<\/em>” (I John 1:8,10).<\/p>\n

While we know we have sinned and will likely sin again in the future, it does not mean we tolerate sin in our lives. “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?<\/em>” (Romans 6:1-2). Sin might momentarily knock us down, but we get right back up and continue the battle. “For a righteous man falls seven times, and rises again, but the wicked stumble in time of calamity<\/em>” (Proverbs 24:16). Sin doesn’t defeat us. We are set to defeat sin. “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world<\/em>” (I John 2:1-2).<\/p>\n

Therefore, God is not expecting you to be perfect. He wants you to aim for perfection — not to think being less than perfect is good enough. “Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect<\/em>” (Matthew 5:48). Albert Barnes said it well in his commentary of this verse:<\/p>\n

“‘Be ye therefore perfect,’ he concludes this part of the discourse by commanding his disciples to be perfect. This word commonly means finished, complete, pure, holy. Originally it is applied to a piece of mechanism, as a machine that is complete in its parts. Applied to men, it refers to completeness of parts, or perfection, when no part is defective or wanting. Thus Job (Job 1:1) is said to be perfect; that is, not holy as God, or sinless — for fault is afterwards found with him, (Job 9:20; 42:6) but his piety was proportionate — had a completeness of parts — was consistent and regular, he exhibited his religion as a prince, a father, an individual, a benefactor of the poor. He was not merely a pious man in one place, but uniformly. He was consistent everywhere. This was the meaning in Matthew. Be not religious merely in loving your friends and neighbours, but let your piety be shown in loving your enemies; be perfect; imitate God; let the piety be complete, and proportionate, and regular. This every Christian may be; this every Christian must be.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

As long as we are on this earth, we will be maturing. There is always something more that I can improve on in my life. That is what God is asking of us.<\/p>\n\t

Question:<\/h2>\n

Also, I’m struggling to pray, only wanting to pray for forgiveness and not others. Please ask God to help me pray for selfless things, not just my own forgiveness. What should I do?<\/p>\n\t

Answer:<\/h2>\n

You are struggling with scrupulosity. It is a religious version of OCD. See:<\/p>\n