12/8- Spirit of Perfectionism

12/8     Scripture –   ^“All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:  “’The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel’ (which means ‘God with us’).  When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.” (Matthew 1:22-25)

Of all the spirits of this age the spirit of perfectionism may be the one that most robs me of Christmas joy and defeats me.  I love holidays and want make everything perfect for those I love.  I am the one the magazines are targeting when they show lovely decorated homes with perfect tables and declare that 1001 Christmas ideas and recipes will be mine if I only pay $1.99. Never mind that there are stacks of these magazines already at home or that there are only 365 days in the entire year!

Every year I wrap our staircase in magnolia and then sigh disappointedly as it never looks as pretty as in Southern Living. My dishes are less than Martha Stewart’s and my table cannot measure up to the Barefoot Contessa. Yet I believe if I just try hard enough I too will achieve glossy perfection. Yet this world of endless projects and countless things to bake even as one follows all the holiday diet tips make me feel very small and insecure.

But Christmas is not about worldly perfection. The first Christmas was in a stable and one that was not the sparkling clean panorama featured in our Christmas cards. It was dirty and smelly and yet the Son of God chose to be born in poverty not perfection. He chose to be with us in our sin, shame, discomfort, and pain. Jesus chose to be “God with us” - and not at our best but at our worst. He left the splendor of heaven, exchanged His crown for a cross, and died for us – not because we were perfect but because we weren’t! What an assuring reminder that our best efforts are enough for Him and that He will clothe us with His sinless perfection if we accept Him as our Savior and Lord.  Our Christmases need not be perfect, because they and we are made perfect in Him! That is grace!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, by the power of your Holy Spirit help me to place you at the center of my holiday.

Application: Give up doing one thing you do not enjoy this holiday season. Spend the time with the Lord instead.

9/13/14- Titus 3

 5he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit,  (Titus 3:5)

Thoughts: We think we get what we deserve.  Too many think the good folk go to heaven and the bad folk don't make it.  It is not fair that sinners get into heaven.  But this is a mistaken sense of justice that doesn't take our wrongdoing seriously.  The Bible says that our righteousness- that we think is so great is as "filthy rags."  What we think is pure is still stained.  Our motives are never perfect, our actions are never perfectly sinless.  But the good news is that our salvation does not depend on us.  If it did, we could brag about how good we were, and self-righteousness would rule the day.  But we are saved instead because of his mercy- his washing- his cleansing of us.  This happens by the power of the Holy Spirit.   The Spirit makes the salvation of Christ real to us- applying us to our life.  Grace means we do not deserve salvation.  Other religions advocate earning your way to heaven by ten commands, ten steps, seven ways or keeping some code. There is no ladder that we must climb to go into heaven.  But the way of Christ is that a sacrifice- made on the cross by the infinite God-man.  It is not that we earn, pay, work our way into heaven.  But the door has been opened by the only One who can open it- Jesus.  

Prayer:  Lord, you are merciful.  Thank you for your mercy and love.