Direction not perfection
We have a saying in our church: “Direction Not Perfection.” Christians believe that God has called all those who have put their confidence in Jesus to rescue them from the grip of sin on their lives and rescue them from the penalty for sin…we believe that God has called all Christians to live lives set apart for God. We are to pursue holy living as prescribed in the Bible and purity in our relationships. We are to live lives of obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ and His Word. We are to be so devoted to God that our life overflows into righteous living.
Christians are to allow the full truth of our salvation to take hold of our hearts and our affections. But, we all know that life doesn’t seem to go this way. No Christian obtains perfection in this life. No Christian has a complete handle on their actions or their attitudes. We have a perfect Savior, but we are not perfect. The Bible prescribes a perfect direction for our life (1 Peter 1:16), while acknowledging our short-comings and sin (1 John 1:8). Direction, Not Perfection!
One of my favorite quotes on the Christian life comes from John Calvin in a short work called “A Little Book On The Christian Life.” Calvin writes on this concept of Direction, Not Perfection in the Christian’s Life: “None of us is capable of running swiftly on the right course while we remain in the earthly confinement of our bodies. Indeed, most of us are so oppressed with weakness that we make little progress--staggering, limping, and crawling on the ground. But let us move forward according to the measure of our resources and pursue the path we have begun to walk. None of us will move forward with so little success that we will not make some daily progress in the way.”
Do you see what Christianity often looks like? It looks like “Direction, Not Perfection.” Calvin goes so far as to describe our progress in living life God’s way as “staggering, limping, and crawling on the ground.” Is this how your walk with Jesus feels? Do you feel like you are staggering and limping as a Christian? Do you feel like you’re crawling on the ground? Are you discouraged that your life (despite your efforts) often does not measure up?
Remember: Direction, Not Perfection. If you are living in the direction of Christ, leaning into Him and striving to be obedient to His Word…you are going in the right direction and you are making progress. Discouraged about your progress as a lover of Jesus? Listen to the words of Calvin: “Therefore, let us keep trying so that we might continually make some gains in the way of the Lord, and neither let us despair over how small our successes are.” Keep your eyes on Jesus and live all out for Him, striving to live holy and righteous lives. But remember that God is full of grace. Direction, Not Perfection.