Tag: perfect

Clumsy Man in the Hands of a Perfect God

By Ife J. Ibitayo

While shopping at Wal-Mart last week, I knocked over a bottle of Dove body wash. I fumbled it like a loose football, and it slid under the shopping cart of a fellow shopper. The skinny Asian woman graciously handed it back to me. As I bent over to accept it, my glasses fell off my face. The woman smiled and asked, “Is this some kind of trick?” like a charade or a comedy act. I grinned back sheepishly and thought, Unfortunately, this is a way of life.

I’ve been notoriously clumsy ever since I was young. Slamming doors are the mortal enemies of my delicate fingers. I’d swear that invisible stub magnets are attached to my pinky toes. And I can only thank God that I didn’t grow up in any cities that iced over frequently. I slip well enough all on my own!

The Weight of My Imperfection

In spite of my clumsy ways, I’ve also ironically struggled with perfectionism my whole life. Growing up in a Nigerian household, I was implicitly and explicitly taught that “A” was the standard. Anything less was failure, and I applied this lesson ruthlessly to every area of my life. I strived to be an “A” student, an “A” brother, an “A” son, an “A” engineer, an “A” writer, and an “A” Christian because anything less was not acceptable. My college experience could be summed up by Matthew 5:48: “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

Perfection is not an easy weight to bear. I remember getting my first report card in grad school and being shaken at receiving two A-minuses. My GPA only went down from there. I’ve always striven for perfection, but over time, I’ve become devastated by the overwhelming chasm between where I am and where I think I should be.

The Strength of His Perfection

This reality is why I’m uniquely passionate about the Christian concept of grace. Grace is unmerited favor, receiving what you do not deserve. In the book of Ephesians, Apostle Paul said, “We were by nature deserving of wrath. But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved” (Ephesians 2:3-5). I am not good enough to be an “A” son. I don’t have what it takes to be an “A” employee all day every day. And I will never be an “A” Christian. But none of that matters.

God chose me because He loves me. I’m not subject to His wrath because of His mercy. I am heaven bound because of His grace. None of these realities are contingent upon my performance. They are rooted in the unchanging nature of my God (Hebrews 13:8).

Conclusion

The title of this article is a reference to Jonathan Edwards’ famous sermon “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.” In that message, Edwards’ describes our plight in horrifying, vivid detail: “Your wickedness makes you as it were heavy as lead…and if God should let you go, you would immediately sink and swiftly descend and plunge into the bottomless gulf.” The shackles of my sinfulness weigh down my wrists. The mistakes of yesterday enfold my throat. The inky abyss awaits to swallow me whole if I trip just one more time.  But something arrests me.

As Paul said in the book of Ephesians, “But God.” In spite of my imperfection, because of His perfection, my salvation is sure. Each teetering step I take is steadied by the hand of my invisible Father. His perfection is stronger than my clumsiness, and it’s greater than all my mistakes.

“My God, His way is perfect: The LORD’s Word is flawless; He shields all who take refuge in Him.”

(Psalm 18:30)

5th Time’s the Charm (My Embarrassing Life Pt. 1)

By Ife J. Ibitayo

Passing the driving test is a right of passage for many people across the world. In the United States, over half of test takers pass on their first try. I was not one of those people.

On my first attempt, I backed my dad’s Toyota Highlander into a parallel parking pole. My next time up, my early fumbles so frustrated my tester that after a couple right turns, she asked me to pull over. On my third try, I finally managed to exit the DMV, but I frightened my tester so much that she asked me to turn around. My fourth try, I made it through the entire course and received a 69 on my test, one point shy of the cutoff limit.

Be Vulnerable

After my first couple of tries, I was pretty confident that my failures were mere bumps on the road, but after my third attempt, I wasn’t so certain anymore.

The following Wednesday, I told a prayer partner about my dilemma and asked him to intercede with God on my behalf. He snickered as he prayed for me, and I did not pass my driving test the next time I took it, but this moment of vulnerability was an important turning point for me.

In our Photoshop-ed world of social media, we’ve been seduced by the illusion of the #perfectlife. We are so bombarded by posts and tweets of everyone else’s promotions, happy married lives, and angelic children that we can forget they are just as broken as we are. The apostle James said, “Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results” (James 5:16 NLT).

The first step forward for must of us will be a step down. We must be willing to climb off our pedestals of whitewashed impeccability to make real breakthroughs in this life.

Appreciate Progress

I never once celebrated after failing my driving test. Of course, that is perfectly natural. Most normal people don’t celebrate mediocrity; we lament it. But I never stopped to realize how promising the trend in my driving life was. On my first try, I failed in one minute. On my last try, I failed by one point. Even if I hadn’t arrived, I should have at least seen that I was getting closer to my destination.

Zechariah 4:10 (NLT) says, “Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin.” We should always strive for the gold in everything we do in life, but we should still thank God for the Honorable Mentions.

Don’t Give Up

I was distraught after my fourth driving test failure. I had given the test my best shot, and I was done putting myself through this ordeal: Clearing my schedule, waking up early, and subjecting myself to the scrutiny of a testy stranger. But if I had given up then, I would never had been able to drive myself to work, church, or my cousin’s baby dedication.

On my fifth try, a white-haired gentleman accompanied me. I nervously drove through the course, powered the car down, and waited for him to tally up my score. When he finished, he turned to me and said wearily, “You passed.” In fact, I received a 90!

Conclusion

I would never repeat that experience again, but that frustrating season served a critical function in my life. It cured me of a bit of my sense of entitlement. It taught me the importance of opening up to others. And I uniquely appreciate the privilege of driving down the interstate at 60 miles an hour.

“You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised.”

(Hebrews 10:36 NIV)