Speaker: Ben Sigman
Theme: Taking my next right step
Weekend Music links on iTunes: All Because of Jesus - Fee, Holding Nothing Back - Jesus Culture, Love Came Down - Ben Cantelon, None But Jesus - Hillsongs
Read: Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:4-5; 2 Corinthians 12:9
Think: Our current sermon series is called “No perfect People Allowed”…now that’s a club I can belong to! Most of us will readily admit that we are not perfect, and we also know only one perfect person has walked this earth…Jesus Christ. I find that the real problem isn’t that we aren’t perfect, it is that we sometimes expect to be perfect, and when faced with the reality that we are not, we are apt to fall into self despair, self pity, self loathing, and self destruction…in other words just where the enemy desires us to be. Others may have a different reaction to falling short of perfection; I call it the I’ll show ‘em response. We become obsessed with achievement, and lose sight of the goal.
I can recall several instances in my life where I have taken one of the paths outlined above. I sought perfection and acceptance from others, sometimes going to extraordinary lengths to achieve these ends. One such instance occurred many years ago in college. My roommate at the time ( I will call him Ed – not his real name) was incredibly smart – you know the type – opens a book a night before the mid term and aces the exam!! Not surprisingly Ed was studying to be a lawyer and had taken a communications law class which for one of the few times in his life he received less than a perfect grade. I happened to be taking the same class the following quarter and I decided that for once in my college career I was going to score higher than my roommate….. the “I’ll Show ‘em Reponse”!! The final exam was a written essay which dissected several cases and tenets within communications law. Believe it or not I absolutely aced it!! I did in fact receive a perfect score. Even as I write this it feels like yesterday…I was so proud and full of my self. Heck I didn’t even want to be a lawyer, all I wanted to do was prove to Ed that I was smart. While Ed was truly surprised at my achievement it did very little to change his perception of my intellect.
I was further struck by something Ben said in today’s sermon: “you can be everything except that which God has called you to be by ignoring Him”. In other words I can achieve great riches, great achievements and notoriety, even ace my Communications Law final exam, but miss my calling from God. What a shame that is, and what a shame it would be!!
Chasing perfection for perfections sake and not for God’s sake is a dead end road. My selfish actions drive me away from God and not towards His power and grace. I need to seek Him first in my weakness, where His Grace, His Wisdom, and His Power can be manifest. Jesus died for my sin, my imperfection, His Grace is sufficient for me and you.
Do: Take an inventory today of your motivations. Are you seeking something out of selfish ambition? Are you trying to prove something to someone else? Even God? Are you kicking yourself because you aren’t perfect?
Pray: Heavenly Father I desire to follow You. I desire to draw close to you, to learn from you. I seek you first in all things. I am not perfect, you already know that and graciously accept that. You love me as I am. Today I seek your will not mine. Help me each day to know you more and more. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.
The eDevotional is written each week by a team of volunteers from Timberlake Church.
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