I’m NOT perfect and that’s okay!

I’ve been realizing that it’s okay that I don’t have it all together. I’m not supposed to. I don’t have to worry about keeping it together. I can let Him keep me together by staying in His presence, by seeking Him, by spending time alone with Him and being still before Him.

What a relief it is, a weight lifted, pressure relieved when I remember that I don’t have to do it. I don’t have to have it all together. I don’t have to do it. When I think that I do, panic sets in because I know that I can’t, but then, by His grace, He reminds me that I don’t have to. God knows I am not perfect and he doesn’t expect me to be. All He wants from me is for me to be yielded and surrendered to Him. All He wants from me is time, time spent with Him so He can be the one at work.

I have a daily struggle with remembering these truths. But He’s helping me day by day, moment by moment. What an incredible blessing and gift to know that God knows I am not perfect. He knows all the bad things about me. He knows the sins I struggle with. AND HE LOVES ME ANYWAY. He loves me. He knows I can’t reach His standard so He died that I could be covered by Him and so that HE could live through me to reach His standard. I can’t do it, but He can. What relief it is to admit that!

We are all sinners saved by grace. Even in my pride, even in my worry, even in my selfishness, even in my struggle with legalism, He loves me. He knows me and he loves me anyway. He knows me and He chose me anyway. And He set a plan in motion to where He could relieve me of those burdens, where He could take them on His incredible, massive, unwavering shoulders and carry them for me. I don’t have to carry those burdens anymore! That’s how much He loves me. And that’s how much He loves YOU! No matter what your burdens are, He loves you enough to take those crushing burdens from your shoulders and place them on His own, more than capable, shoulders. Picture His massive shoulders bearing the weight of your sin and your burdens. While we can’t stand up under that weight, He shoulders it, He lifts it up. Those burdens are nothing to Him. Let Him bear your burdens today. What grace and what love He has for us! I am not perfect and that’s okay because He is! He can bear the weight of my imperfections because He is perfection!

“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30, NASB)

God’s grace is sufficient! How precious it is that He shows us this each day, that He teaches us this truth repeatedly; that when we forget, He brings us back to it again and again. “And He has said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.’ Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weakness, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.” (2 Corinthians 12:9, NASB)

As He has shown me His willingness and ability to carry my imperfections and sins, I am overwhelmed by the love He has for me to do that. The words from this song keep coming to my mind and my heart.

How He Loves Us

David Crowder Band

He is jealous for me, Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree,
Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy.
When all of a sudden, I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory,
And I realize just how beautiful You are,
And how great Your affections are for me.

And oh, how He loves us so
Oh how He loves us,
How He loves us all

He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves

We are His portion and He is our prize
Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes
If grace is an ocean, we’re all sinking
So Heaven meets earth like an unforeseen kiss
And my heart turns violently inside of my chest
I don’t have time to maintain these regrets
When I think about the way

And oh, how He loves us
Oh how He loves us,
How He loves us so
how he loves

Yeah, He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how he loves
Yeah, He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves.

I am overwhelmed by how much He loves me, that He loves me enough to carry all my burdens and imperfections. He loves YOU the same way! Oh how He loves you! Oh how He loves us and oh how desperately we need to be reminded of it sometimes! I pray that today you are reminded of how much He loves you and that He wants to carry your burdens for you today so you don’t have to, so that you can walk freely without the crushing weight of those burdens!

Overwhelmed by His love,

Julie

P.S. (or food for thought): YOU are precious in His sight! YOU are loved and sought after by the Creator of the universe! Even in all your imperfections, He loves YOU with an everlasting love! Spend some time with Him today and let Him remind you how much He loves you! Give Him the burdens you bear and He will gladly take them from you.