Permission to Be Imperfect: How to Strive Less, Stress Less, Sin LessSample

Living at Rest

Be loved. As I said yesterday, that’s what the Christian life is all about. But do you wonder how? Like gravity, love is an invisible force. Like gravity, love is the reason you can stand. But how do you receive something invisible? How do you accept love so that you live like someone who is loved?

I had to think a little when someone first asked me how. I always heard that God loves. “But what took that truth from my head to my heart so that I could live like it?” I pondered. Turns out, I had it backward. Accepting God’s love was not about getting it from my head to my heart. It was about getting what was in my heart to my head. You see, the Bible assures us that God poured His love into our hearts (see Romans 5:5). You are loved whether you know it or not. You are loved whether you feel it or not.

For most people, the path from the heart to the head is blocked by a lifetime of lies, each of which must be replaced with certain truths. Replacing a lie with truth is what the apostle Paul called “the renewal of the mind,” which leads to transformation from the inside out (see Romans 12:2). This transformation happens because what you believe affects what you do. People who believe imperfections disqualify them, for instance, tend to feel insecure about themselves or strive to change themselves. Both are toxic reactions that are rooted in a toxic belief. When you remember that you are unconditionally loved, on the other hand, you realize that your weaknesses are meaningless. That feels good, yes. But it’s productive, too. Believing that you are loved results in a godly confidence that empowers you to follow God’s plans for your life without fear or pressure.

Now that you have reached the end of this reading plan, can you name any lies that have caused you insecurity, stress, or striving? Have you believed that even the smallest amount of sin in your life deflects God’s presence? Have you believed that dos, don’ts, and disciplines are the ways to please a temperamental God? Have you believed that a secret struggle means you are unsaved or unlovable? May the truth put you at rest! Because of Jesus, God no longer counts imperfection against you (2 Corinthians 5:19). You don’t have to prove anything to Him. You can’t disappoint or displease Him. You are loved with no buts, asterisks, or disclaimers! Yes, because of Jesus, you have been restored to the place of grace that you were designed for. Remember that.

We adapted this plan from Permission to Be Imperfect: How to Strive Less, Stress Less, Sin Less. Learn more at http://bakerpublishinggroup.com/books/permission-to-be-imperfect/418400.