Perfection

I think it's good every once in a while to realize how messed up you are. I mean I don't think people should feel terrible about themselves, but it seems like with all the talk about self-esteem and crap, we're supposed to always think everything we do is great. I think a good view of yourself involves knowing that you're going to make some doozies of mistakes.

The problem is that we get this idea with all this talk of being holy and stuff that we can achieve something pretty darn near perfection. That's just not true. If you're a human being, you're fallen and broken. That means even if you do and say everything right, you still have some stuff that makes up your insides that is less than immaculate.

Even in the middle of his ministry to the Gentiles, Paul the apostle called himself a wretched man with a "body of death," and the worst of all sinners (in the present tense). I tend to resonate with that. And every time I feel like I'm getting closer to perfection, I know I'm getting further away from the truth and probably further away from the Father.