When I got out of school and went to work full time, I had a huge battle with overcoming mistakes. I was new at this job position. It always seemed to be that no matter how much attention I gave to details, all I got back was red ink. I never noticed this happening to others I worked with, especially one guy, my age, who seemed he could do no wrong. One time, I was delegated a big job, to create a very detailed report for a meeting, in our office, of independent telephone companies in the state of Oklahoma. It involved cash flow, earnings and all the stuff these people were concerned with….and I was responsible for the report they would use to make big decisions! Well, I ate a big lunch and worked on the report all through the night and into the next morning. Paper was everywhere. I actually tried to straighten up my clothes (so they wouldn’t know I spent the night in my office) and get last minute changes made, print out copies and have them set out in each place at the conference table.
The table was set. It seemed as though I had conquered the ‘mistake’ demons, till a client of mine picked up his copy, turned to the first page, quietly exited the conference room and into my office to point out a huge, glaring mistake right in the front! That was it! I had enough and wanted to quit, learn to play the guitar and stand out on the street corner. No matter how hard I tried, there was never going to be perfection and I was through trying. I fixed the report and reprinted several copies. The meeting came and went. A decision was made, despite errors. No big deal, but even after burning the midnight oil, perfection was still elusive and out of reach. After a few more years I discovered something I didn’t notice before….nobody else ever got it all right either and the guy I worked with who never messed up…..well, he messed up too, I just never noticed because all I could focus on was me. I realized that there are three versions of ourselves: the marketed version, the despised version and the real us.
Have you ever felt like no matter how hard you try to clean up your act, you always get back red ink? Have you ever felt like throwing in the towel and calling it a day because trying harder doesn’t seem to yield anything more than opportunities for more error? Maybe you’ve kicked an old habit, decided to help out a cause or ate at the same table with someone famous. But you discover that after all you have tried to transform your life into something pleasing to God, you exchanged one bad habit for another and believe you would’ve been better off staying home. And that isn’t even dealing with the motives behind all that stuff. Welcome to Club Dread! I’m kidding. But it can be paralyzing and really bring you down. But Jesus never requires perfection. If He did, we’d all be in trouble. In fact, we can’t afford to wait to straighten things out or get ourselves right before we become presentable to Him and be His servant.
Jesus isn’t interested in your work but in your rest
In Luke 10:38-42 Jesus was invited by two sisters to come over for a visit. One sister, Martha, is focused on being the ‘eternal hostess’ for the Savior while the other, Mary, can’t do anything but sit at His feet and listen. Martha becomes irritated that she’s doing all the work and all the worrying about getting things done while her sister just sits there. She finally can’t take it anymore and asks Jesus to light a fire under her sister. What does Jesus say? “The Master said, "Martha, dear Martha, you're fussing far too much and getting yourself worked up over nothing. One thing only is essential, and Mary has chosen it--it's the main course, and won't be taken from her." (Luke 10:41-42, MSG). In other words, resting in Him is what is needed, not kicking up dirt and staying busy. Have you ever tried to compare your own righteousness or practical worth in your church to everybody else? Do you feel whatever you end up doing is all messed up? Don’t! It comes from Satan, not God. Martha kept her eyes on the work and missed the rest Jesus offered Mary. Jesus had no intention of lighting any fire under Mary but wanted Martha to stop fanning the flames.
God’s a very Big Boy and can handle even you
I’ve got good news for the troubled and bad news for the proud: "Martha, dear Martha, you're fussing far too much and getting yourself worked up over nothing.” God doesn’t need you! He has done very well long before you were born and will do even better long after you go to the grave. That ought to be a relief. He loves you and offers you rest. Why does it sometimes come as a concern rather than relief? It’s too easy to become self oriented and either consider our efforts as drastically important, by comparison, or drastically inferior, by comparison. Forget comparisons…throw them all into hell… and realize that no matter how big you build your castles or how many you unwittingly tear down, God will never love you any more or less than He does right now. Don’t add to His offer, but accept it with empty hands, right where you are, rather than where you ought to be. Nobody is where they ought to be.
“Don’t Clean Up Before You Take a Bath”
“But there's only one thing you need. Mary has chosen what is better, and it is not to be taken away from her." A little background on Martha’s ‘lazy’ sister Mary: Scholars have different opinions but in John 11, Mary may have been the one who poured perfume on Jesus’ feet and washed them with her hair and tears. You can find that in Luke 7:36-50. It doesn’t matter if it was the same Mary or not. The point is that this woman was the town harlot yet didn’t flinch to go inside the Pharisee’s home and begin washing Jesus’ feet with her tears. Jesus told Simon, the Pharisee, that she loves much because she’s been forgiven much and those who love little have been forgiven little. What does He mean? Those who own their brokenness and receive Jesus’ unconditional offer, are knocked off their feet with gratefulness and considered perfect, rather than those who trust in their own efforts and strive for perfection. That’s why those who had the bad reputations were getting in the Kingdom ahead of the religious leaders (Matthew 21:31)…they had nothing left to lose and everything to gain. So do you. If you believe anything to the contrary, it isn’t from Him. The only red ink He offers is His redeeming blood and it is more than enough to cover the bad stuff. Run to Him, like Mary, right now. You’ll find it’s all that really matters and where you can find true perfection and rest.
The table was set. It seemed as though I had conquered the ‘mistake’ demons, till a client of mine picked up his copy, turned to the first page, quietly exited the conference room and into my office to point out a huge, glaring mistake right in the front! That was it! I had enough and wanted to quit, learn to play the guitar and stand out on the street corner. No matter how hard I tried, there was never going to be perfection and I was through trying. I fixed the report and reprinted several copies. The meeting came and went. A decision was made, despite errors. No big deal, but even after burning the midnight oil, perfection was still elusive and out of reach. After a few more years I discovered something I didn’t notice before….nobody else ever got it all right either and the guy I worked with who never messed up…..well, he messed up too, I just never noticed because all I could focus on was me. I realized that there are three versions of ourselves: the marketed version, the despised version and the real us.
Have you ever felt like no matter how hard you try to clean up your act, you always get back red ink? Have you ever felt like throwing in the towel and calling it a day because trying harder doesn’t seem to yield anything more than opportunities for more error? Maybe you’ve kicked an old habit, decided to help out a cause or ate at the same table with someone famous. But you discover that after all you have tried to transform your life into something pleasing to God, you exchanged one bad habit for another and believe you would’ve been better off staying home. And that isn’t even dealing with the motives behind all that stuff. Welcome to Club Dread! I’m kidding. But it can be paralyzing and really bring you down. But Jesus never requires perfection. If He did, we’d all be in trouble. In fact, we can’t afford to wait to straighten things out or get ourselves right before we become presentable to Him and be His servant.
Jesus isn’t interested in your work but in your rest
In Luke 10:38-42 Jesus was invited by two sisters to come over for a visit. One sister, Martha, is focused on being the ‘eternal hostess’ for the Savior while the other, Mary, can’t do anything but sit at His feet and listen. Martha becomes irritated that she’s doing all the work and all the worrying about getting things done while her sister just sits there. She finally can’t take it anymore and asks Jesus to light a fire under her sister. What does Jesus say? “The Master said, "Martha, dear Martha, you're fussing far too much and getting yourself worked up over nothing. One thing only is essential, and Mary has chosen it--it's the main course, and won't be taken from her." (Luke 10:41-42, MSG). In other words, resting in Him is what is needed, not kicking up dirt and staying busy. Have you ever tried to compare your own righteousness or practical worth in your church to everybody else? Do you feel whatever you end up doing is all messed up? Don’t! It comes from Satan, not God. Martha kept her eyes on the work and missed the rest Jesus offered Mary. Jesus had no intention of lighting any fire under Mary but wanted Martha to stop fanning the flames.
God’s a very Big Boy and can handle even you
I’ve got good news for the troubled and bad news for the proud: "Martha, dear Martha, you're fussing far too much and getting yourself worked up over nothing.” God doesn’t need you! He has done very well long before you were born and will do even better long after you go to the grave. That ought to be a relief. He loves you and offers you rest. Why does it sometimes come as a concern rather than relief? It’s too easy to become self oriented and either consider our efforts as drastically important, by comparison, or drastically inferior, by comparison. Forget comparisons…throw them all into hell… and realize that no matter how big you build your castles or how many you unwittingly tear down, God will never love you any more or less than He does right now. Don’t add to His offer, but accept it with empty hands, right where you are, rather than where you ought to be. Nobody is where they ought to be.
“Don’t Clean Up Before You Take a Bath”
“But there's only one thing you need. Mary has chosen what is better, and it is not to be taken away from her." A little background on Martha’s ‘lazy’ sister Mary: Scholars have different opinions but in John 11, Mary may have been the one who poured perfume on Jesus’ feet and washed them with her hair and tears. You can find that in Luke 7:36-50. It doesn’t matter if it was the same Mary or not. The point is that this woman was the town harlot yet didn’t flinch to go inside the Pharisee’s home and begin washing Jesus’ feet with her tears. Jesus told Simon, the Pharisee, that she loves much because she’s been forgiven much and those who love little have been forgiven little. What does He mean? Those who own their brokenness and receive Jesus’ unconditional offer, are knocked off their feet with gratefulness and considered perfect, rather than those who trust in their own efforts and strive for perfection. That’s why those who had the bad reputations were getting in the Kingdom ahead of the religious leaders (Matthew 21:31)…they had nothing left to lose and everything to gain. So do you. If you believe anything to the contrary, it isn’t from Him. The only red ink He offers is His redeeming blood and it is more than enough to cover the bad stuff. Run to Him, like Mary, right now. You’ll find it’s all that really matters and where you can find true perfection and rest.
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