I was thinking today about my constant need to do things -not only well- but perfectly. I call myself a Type A personality as a joke because when I work hard at something, I aim to do it with excellence.

However, as a Type “A” I can try to take control of things, far too often, that don’t concern me at all.

Unfortunately with this tendency to “fix” myself and those around me, I create a standard to live by that is just simply UNATTAINABLE.

You see, whenever our focus in life becomes about ourselves… Even to better ourselves… Idolatry slides right in to make a home in our hearts.

Since when did we become superhuman? And who gave us charge over the universe? How can we continue to think about our inadequacy and the inadequacies of the world around us and NOT be consumed with SELF?

If we are honest, it is truly a backwards form of selfishness.

We think in our hearts, “I’m just trying to be more like Jesus!”
Yet, the reverse is actually true.

The more I focus on what needs FIXING in my life and what is broken in the lives of those around me, the less time my heart has to focus on Christ and His Cross… The only hope I have of ever changing anything…

The Cross, and ONLY the Cross of Christ has the power to remind me -Not of my sin, not of my faults, nor my failures- but of The blood of Christ through which I receive ALL Joy, ALL peace, ALL grace, and ALL mercy.

The thing is… no matter how many of my behaviors I can change in my own strength, no matter how great I become at holding up my weighty life, no matter how deep I look inside of “imperfect” self- I will still never EVER be PERFECT.

All the Type “A” personalities in the world have a gifting of getting things completed. We are usually picked first on teams that want to win because of our dogmatic focus.

But if taken too far, we can lose all perspective and end up hurting rather than helping the situations in which we find ourselves.

Think about it like this:
Hard work never attained salvation!
Having control never healed a heart!
Striving for Perfection never made ANY ONE perfect!… NOT ONCE!

But God’s grace has and continues to make allowances for our weak humanity while still exclaiming to us, “Do not concern yourSELF with yourSELF any longer!! FOCUS on Me… Know Me… Love Me… And You will do better tomorrow.”

Remember: We are never alone and God is fully aware of our imperfection. All He wants from us is our TRUST.

And then… when the good, the bad, and the ugly comes- and we feel shame for not living up to our own Self-Made Standards of Success- We will recall God’s Grace… Take a deep breath…and Rest in the Fact that He is in Control.

Catch the Wave,
Victoria