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Nowhere in the Bible does it say that God wants you to become “a better person” (in other words, a different person). Rather, God’s desire is for us to become more fully ourselves, to be who we truly are. The truth Jesus reveals to us is that we are, already and always, God’s beloved children. God has created us as diverse people and called us very good.
And yes, we’re also sinners – but sin isn’t the state of being less than perfect, it’s the mistake of thinking we’re supposed to be. Sin is the fear and shame that fill us when empty promises of human perfection define how we understand ourselves and others. We may gaze on ourselves in self-adoration or self-loathing, but we’re stuck on ourselves either way – and we’re meant for more than navel-gazing.
God’s grace doesn’t make us “perfect,” but it does make us complete. Grace frees us from the never-ending struggle to make ourselves good enough, reminding us that all we will ever need to be is who God has made us to be.
This message is excerpted from “Perfectly imperfect” by Meghan Johnston Aelabouni in the January 2019 Café online magazine.