Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Excuses




“Never let the sense of failure keep you from moving forward with Christ.” Oswald Chambers
I am ever-so-far from perfect. This is only one of my stalemate excuses. I can talk myself out of or into almost anything, and any past mistake made feels like a great reason to avoid advancement.
I’m not the right voice. Moses said he wasn’t a gifted public speaker, and he questioned God’s appointment of him to talk a pharaoh into doing God’s will (Exodus 4:10). Since I am a professor, I don’t tell God I’m not good at talking, but that I’m probably not the right one to do the talking. Who wants the girl with raw cookie dough on her breath telling them the importance of nutrition? Yes, I’m trying to be better, but I’m not perfect yet.

I’ll speak up when I get to perfect. That way no one will question my authority. That way, God’s reputation won’t falter based on my failures. Yeah. That’s a good idea. Then my life will “so shine before men” (Matthew 5:16) that they’ll see the perfect Creator through His perfect creation.

Stop.

I tend to feel I’m not accomplishing anything if I’m not mastering everything, but, let’s face it—I’m human. I’m not perfect. If I keep waiting to do what I feel God is prompting me to do until I feel I have a clean slate…well, I’ll be writing my life work in chalk with one hand and furiously erasing with the other, hoping no one has a chance to sneak a peak at my mistakes.

But my mistakes are everywhere, ranging from actual physical scars I see every day to emotional ones in my heart or in the hearts of others I’ve hurt. I can let it keep me back. The devil cannot think of anything that would make him happier.

“Never let the sense of failure keep you from moving forward with Christ.” Oswald Chambers

His perfect hand is stretched out, and He’s saying to me, “Come on,” and to others, “She’s with me.”

Chambers, Oswald. My Utmost for His Highest Journal. Uhrichsville, Ohio: Barbour Publishing, n.d. 

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12 comments:

  1. This is so true. If we all waited until conditions were perfect before we decided to move, we'd be waiting an eternity and inaction would rule the world.

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  2. Love this Jessa! I would love you to be a guest on my blog!

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    1. You are such a great support, Lori. Thank you!

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  3. This quote is so very powerful.
    And so true.
    Thank you for sharing this today.

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  4. Thanks for this! Perfectionism is a disease I suffer from, so this really spoke to me.

    I like your last line, Jesus saying to others, "She's with me."

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    1. Sometimes I tear up a little when I re-read that line. How powerful that He claims me!

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  5. Thank God He loves us the way we are, and still uses us in our shabby broken state.

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    1. Yes! He loves us as we are but is ready to make us better every day. It's a great comfort AND motivator.

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  6. I love Oswald Chambers and I love your last line! She's with me. Beautiful. Stopping by from L.L's linky today.

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    1. Oswald Chambers is a challenge for me to read, but he makes me think and reflect. Thank you!

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