It seems that technology and social media have made creating the perfect image simple. Everyone seems to post only the most flattering pictures for the world to see. And, in their/my defense who really wants to look at pictures of someone else looking bad? But what is real? When the phone or camera isn't positioned just right or when the coloring hasn't been adjusted? Ladies, what about when the make-up comes off? When you're clothes don't fit you just right?
Life is messy, littered with imperfections. Sin is pervasive and penetrating into the depths of every person's soul. Sin is like a single drop of red food coloring on pure white almond frosting, making it a horrible pink color. One drop ruins an entirely beautiful and tasty patch of frosting.
Sin = Messy Imperfection
However, what I have learned is that there is incredible beauty in imperfection.
God designed parents and family to be the first display of an incredible love that overlooks faults. I think friends are also supposed to show that same forgiveness regardless of one's shortcomings. When you get older a spouse demonstrates this same unbelievable love. A spouse agrees to enter into a lifetime covenant where there is nothing the other can do, no sin the other could commit, that they will not have to forgive. All of these examples of unconditional love are meant to point us to the ultimate display of perfect love. The Cross.
God is perfect. We are not. God steps down into our imperfect world through a man named Jesus. He, alone, lived the perfect life that you and I could never live. God saw the beauty in human imperfection. Jesus died on a cross for that imperfection to be transformed.
Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus who did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking on the very nature of servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the death--even death on a cross. Philippians 2:5-6
So, I live a life full of imperfections. I make idols out of my dreams, other peoples opinions, and relationships. I have blemishes on my super pale skin. I eat too much when I'm stressed. I'm clumsy, messy, disorganized, undisciplined, forgetful, and scared. And do you know what? God still loves me. He knows my heart completely, much better than anyone on this earth ever will. And He would still rather die then allow me to experience death and eternal life in hell, which is the payment for all my imperfections/sin. Because Jesus died on a cross and I have excepted Him as my Savior, Heaven will now be my home. Where all things are PERFECT!
However, I am not there yet. Today, I struggle through this beautifully imperfect life on earth. I get to witness God's beauty amongst the messiness. Daily witnessing His perfectly perfecting love. I, a flawed human-being, walking through life on earth basking in the glory of perfect love. Embracing the freedom I have to acknowledge my imperfections and surrender them at the Cross, begging that Jesus transform them. Sometimes is takes awhile, like a lifetime, but He is faithful.
And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
2 Corinthians 3:18
Join me in a life not afraid to show the imperfections, the real person, because there is a love that embraces and transforms the imperfect into something beautiful.
