When I was younger, I thought well of myself. I didn’t drink, smoke, sleep around, and was in ministry and so I thought I should be pleasing to the Lord. But now that I’m older, I’m coming to a keen realization of my inadequacies…

I don’t love well. I should love my neighbor as I love myself, but I don’t do that.
I don’t even take care of my church members well. I’m so self-conscious of what people think, I can’t say what I need to say.
I am not generous. I’m worried about providing for my family in the future, so, rather than trusting God, I tend to hoard.
I lack compassion. My daydreaming is about the next vacation rather than wanting to help people.
I’m prideful. I often think about what sets me or my church apart from others

Please, I don’t say these things to get sympathy or to seem humble. That’s who I am and this is how I truly feel about myself.

But, ” Thanks to be God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:25)

I need Christ. I do not live up to His standard – “Be perfect as I am perfect.” I can’t ever live up to His standard. But He makes me whole. He makes me holy. He makes me acceptable in His eyes because of what He has done for me on the cross.

I’m a work in progress. It’s a painfully slow process. But I believe I’m growing because I’m leaning more and more on Him rather than on my own self-determination or effort.

Jesus loves you as you are. Come back to Him if you have fallen away. Keep abiding in Him even if you are weary. He will see you through. He is good.

PH