God Doesn’t Require You To Be Perfect

Christian or not, believer or not, we have all felt the pressure to measure up to people’s images of us or even God’s supposed image of us. This image of perfection, a white that can’t and shouldn’t be stained. People will tell you the plans they expect you to live up to the things God expects you to be.

They will tell you that for life to go smoothly, you have to live a life of perfection. To not make mistakes or bad decisions. After all, why would God want someone who is struggling and hasn’t got their life together? It is because of this that so many people don’t bother to carry on with God or try to put in any effort, because if you don’t, then no one expects anything of you. You won’t have to disappoint anyone with your failures and missteps.

But it’s a common misconception that for God to want you, you have to be perfect and have made no mistakes. If you struggle, it must mean that you are in the wrong standing with God, and this causes disillusion for a lot of us in our relationship with Him. This idea of perfection being the epitome of what God wants is wrong. As much as God wants you to be in the right standing, he doesn’t forsake those who fall or stumble; otherwise, what type of father would he be? God is a father, that’s true, but he has a mother’s heart. When you fall, he dusts you off and encourages you to carry on. When you make mistakes, he will welcome you back with open arms.

A lot of us look at ourselves and see nothing but the marks and the stains of life, and our first thought is, “How could God want something so dirty? How could God want me?” However, God doesn’t see these marks and patches of black—his eyes see way past that. They look to the potential that lies deep within. To the white underneath. God doesn’t look at or require perfection; if anything, he seeks those who are imperfect. He calls to those who don’t feel like they should be called. He didn’t come to save those who have already been saved, he came for those who needed saving. He didn’t come for those whose lives were full, he came for those who felt empty. He calls for those who are struggling.

You are not unqualified; you are not unworthy, nor do your mistakes define who you are. You just have to look at those who were called in the books of old. They were tax collectors and prostitutes and even those who turned away from him, and yet God still sought them out.

As long as you look for God, you will find him. You will find him in the dark as well as the light. You will find him in the failures as well as the successes. You shouldn’t discount yourself because of the things you’ve done. After all, God has and never will discount you.