Why do we try so hard?

I guess it's our human nature (for most of us at least) to try and be as close to perfect as possible. I have given up!!!!!

WOW...what a relief that was to finally surrender all to the One that created me and loves me as imperfect as I am. I finally realized that it doesn't matter how hard I try to please everyone in my life, that it is simply not possible. I have not had some life-altering situation or anything...it's just a realization of the marvelous grace and mercy of the Lord Jesus. 

So many times, we try to be perfect before coming before the throne of God. How selfish is that??? Why do we wait to have an abundant life here on earth? The beauty of His grace is that He loves us in spite (if not because of) our imperfections. He loves to help us fix our mess ups. HE REALLY DOES!!! But how many times have we thought..."Man, I need to really get my act straightened out before I can ask God for His help on this problem I have." I mean seriously...we have all done it! No shame in it really. We are, after all...just humans. We, in our minds, think that WE have to make things better. That WE can fix things. But the truth is...WE mess things up. If we would just surrender and let GOD handle it, we would save ourselves a lot of work, grief, worry...etc.

If there was such a thing as perfect people in this world then God would be a murderer. And we know that that's not true...so then Jesus' death had to be for a reason! To clear our pasts of any imperfections and make us as white as snow. Now...that's not to say that we won't screw this up...because we probably will!!! But again, His grace is enough to cleanse us and His mercy is enough to guide us from wrong. We just have to pay attention and follow Him.

Our lives would be so much easier if we would learn to surrender early on in our lives. So many people in this world are waiting to "get things right" and for some...they wait too long and their lives end before they know the love and forgiveness of Christ Jesus. Romans chapter 3 lays it out pretty clearly to us, starting in verse 22. (New Living Translation)

22. We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.

23. For everyone has sinned, we all fall short of God's glorious standard. 

24. Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.

25. For God presented Jesus as a sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God  when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that Gos was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past,

26. for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he declares sinners to be right in his sight when they BELIEVE IN JESUS.

27. Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith.

28. So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law.

31. Well then, if we emphasize faith, does this mean that we can forget about the law? Of course not!!! In fact, only when we have faith do we truly fulfill the law.

So there is is in a nutshell...we as humans cannot buy our way in to Heaven with our good deeds (following the law.) Only by the faith in Jesus and the confession of sins to Him do we obtain eternal life. 

The moral of this blog....stop waiting. WE can't fix what we have messed up. Only God can fix us. He makes this so much easier. We waste so much time trying to make things better when if only we would just surrender and give it all to Him. He will take the burden and works things out in your favor. He does all the work and you reap the benefits. 

My prayer for those of you reading this that might not know my Jesus...that you would come to know Him and enjoy the wonderful life that He has in store for you. It's not too late! For those of you who know Him but are holding on to things, my prayer is that you relinquish all control to Him and let Him do the work for you.

Loved by the King,

Carmen