Faith and perfectionism do not play well together. To walk by faith, one must leave some space between God’s hand and his own.
Perfectionists prefer leaving nothing to chance. They’d rather wait to begin any project until all possible obstacles have been removed. You understand why, right?
It HAS to be perfect the first time. Trying to help a nitpicking perfectionist to clean will drive you to want to commit physical indignities on their body. Twice. With something heavy and blunt.
“Uh–I just vacuumed there.”
“I know. I saw a speck of something and so I thought I’d… just . . . . Why are you glaring at me like that?”
“I’m trying to decide if putting you down is worth the trouble. Although–the thought of burying you in an unfinished casket is really flipping my switch right now.”
Blaise Pascal: “In faith there is enough light for those who want to believe and enough shadows to blind those who don’t.”
I was pleased to find this quotation, for it highlights something of which I’ve become more aware. God is more than bright enough to put the entire salvation plan together in such a way that my choices determine how much of it I experience. You too.
Wanna believe? Then all of Heaven’s resources are available to help you. Want to toss it all off with jokes and snickers? Then God will let you. The Bible indicates that God’s so intent on honoring our choices that He’ll even lend a hand in hiding His truth from those who’ve meant it when they said, “Leave me alone!” Doesn’t mean He quits loving; quite the opposite. It’s another sign of just how ultradimensional God’s love is in that, if after all He’s done to set you free, you still don’t want to be at The Party He’ll leave orders to remove your name from the guest list.
It would be easy if we could toss it all off on God. He decides.
“You, you, you, you and you–you’re in. The rest of you? Nyuh-uh. Get Lost.”
Simple. Right? No personal responsibility, costs me nothing, I can live as checkered a life as I want because it’s ALL on GOD.
He really IS the big, mean ogre we always suspected. And all those holy-rollin’ goody-dress-shoes types who actually read their Bibles trying to live to please God? Rubes. Pathetic simpletons we always knew they were. Huge celestial joke, right?
Human perfectionist: the ultimate oxymoron.
A perfectly perfect God knew we’d try every possible way to sneak or trick or wheedle our way into Heaven. Anything, ANEE-THEENG to keep from doing what we’re told, up to and including – oh, this is rich – deciding God doesn’t exist.
“Gravity? Aw, that’s for noobs. I disbelieve all that.”
Okay. Your choice. Problem is, you don’t affect gravity at all by your saying it doesn’t exist. Scream your defiance until the cows come home. Or until you’re horse. Eventually, it’ll get your goat and make a believer out of ya. Gravity is.
So knowing me and you as He does, God figured imperfection into the equation. He dumped FAITH into the bowl.
You want to believe? Nothing can thwart you.
You choose not to believe? Nothing can save you.
The choice is yours, and either way requires the exercise of faith. You are free to choose; but you are not free to call the consequences of your choice.
Whichever it is, you don’t affect God any more than you affect gravity. He is sovereign creator of it all, including you. He’s chosen to love you so much He’ll allow you to choose.
Wanna believe? Do it. Heaven awaits.
Wanna not believe? Then don’t.
You’re infinitely loved, regardless of your choice. And a perfectly perfect God says He’ll honor whatever you decide.
And that’s a pretty awesome deal, right there.
© D. Dean Boone, May 2015
