imperfection

As the dust settles today following the election yesterday there are many opinions still being raised about what happened. All through this process I have had a strange peace with whatever the result would be because of my knowledge of what I said yesterday. No matter what happens, God is on the throne.

Interestingly enough, it seems as though we have elected a sinner to be the next President of the United States, just like his predecessor and just like whomever will follow him.

My Bible say that we are all sinners. Every last one of us is worthy of nothing more than death and separation from a perfect God.

I saw a headline today that said,
"Acts of Kindness That Prove People Are Still Good."
I feel that this is a misnomer really. How can we prove that people are still good, when they never really were good to begin with?

All of this has caused me to do a great deal of thinking today.

No one is good.

No one is righteous.

Not even one.

It is not a popular concept to embrace. Culture likes to tell us that we are all good people but "nobody's perfect."

We justify and try to prove that we really are "good people" and in doing so we miss a key opportunity to bring glory to God.

As I have read through the Old Testament, I have found that the Lord likes using unexpected and imperfect things to accomplish His work. The Bible doesn't hide the mess and paint rosey pictures of perfect people following God perfectly. All through His word He used the "foolish things of this world to shame the wise."

We have gotten so far away from being vulnerable before the Lord so we can be used how He wants to use us. We try to build up this persona of goodness or rightness so that people will not see our mess.

I was listening to the book "Tramp for the Lord" today by Corrie TenBoom and I was stricken by how real she is about her struggles and sins. She gives all the credit to the Lord for being able to use her at her most vulnerable and imperfect. This is a woman I look up to as an incredibly godly example and yet, she was still imperfect.

Today, I am grateful that the Lord works in imperfections. He doesn't need us to come to Him with it all together in order for Him to accomplish something.

In light of this recent election, yes we have elected someone with a LOT of flaws, but that doesn't mean that the Lord cannot use this leader to accomplish great things. It's time we stop bickering about the sin of a sinner and start lifting this imperfect man before the throne of grace.

You never know what the Lord is going to do.

Just think, if He can work in you, chief of sinners or me, the vilest of wretches, then He can work in anyone. :)

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