Have you ever watched or listened to Christians who seem to have a perfect life? They don’t seem to have any major problems but they have all the solutions for yours. Or they came from a place with major strongholds but are now in a place of freedom from them and they can now tell you their formula for success.
You might wonder how these Christians have come to such a place of strength when you have desperately tried every avenue to seek help with no change. You have tried giving all your problems to God, meditating on scripture, praying and worshipping daily, but still, you are suffering.
I’m here to tell you, brothers and sisters, that there is no such thing as the perfect Christian life and no formula for success. The only way to live your best life is to accept that we are going to have many trials and tribulations as Christians and that not only should expect them, we should rejoice in them!
Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith— just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”?
Galatians 3:3-6
Even our favorite heroes of the Bible didn’t live perfect lives. Their lives were full of oppression, idolatry, rebellion, foolishness, rage, confusion and even witchcraft. Look how Peter renounced Jesus or how Moses used witchcraft instead of God’s power. King David was a murderer and even Paul had a thorn that God wouldn’t remove from him.
The reason for this is simple, “For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:12”
We want to wrestle with our flesh and our minds, trying to bring ourselves into alignment with God while we ignore every spiritual authority that has taken root in our lives. The myth that we are free from demons or even the devil when we are saved is promoted by Lucifer himself. If we knew just how strong of a hold he has over our lives we would be shocked.
Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.
1 Peter 4:12-13
Being Christian has nothing to do with being free from oppression or misery. It just means we have the strength and grace of Christ to stand with us in the midst of it. I can’t tell you how much shame and pain I have lived with as I have heard messages from Christians living a seemingly perfect life and when I try to model their teachings I completely fail. I still have a lot of issues I am dealing with. I have come a long way, but when my heart cries out to Jesus because I am a huge failure as a Christian, He tells me that is a lie.
Being a Christian means having enough humility to admit you aren’t perfect, but perfectly flawed, and the grace to accept yourself right where you are. You are on a journey that takes a lifetime, and some of us will never be where we want to be by the time we get to the end. All we can do is trust in Jesus to complete the good work He has started in us, even when we don’t know what completion will look like.
We have to hold on to our faith as tightly as we can because without it we are lost at sea. When we do we lose sight of God’s promises to us because God’s promises are based on things we can’t see or understand. Faith is not meant to be understood, but to be used as a catalyst for hope, and the only hope we have is in Jesus Christ.
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
Hebrews 11:1
Jesus Himself was God but made Himself subject to humanity so He could experience all of our pain and suffering. He was betrayed, hated, condemned, His own family turned on Him, and He lived like a homeless person. He knew suffering intimately, in every human way possible, just so He could walk with us through our pain. That is the ultimate definition of love. Yet nowhere do I see in Jesus lived the perfect life portrayed to us today.
Yes, Jesus was sinless, but the absence of sin alone does not make a perfect Christian life. For most it would be the absence of pain and suffering and as we see Jesus had that in spades. The devil Himself came to Jesus at His weakest moment to tempt Him.
Living your best life comes only through total surrender in a relationship with Jesus Christ. It comes from knowing there will be pain and understanding that God will walk with your through it. Jesus will protect us from the worst of it, and help us navigate everything else. Just when we think we cannot take anymore, Jesus will rescue us and preserve our lives from danger. No matter how bad we think it is, we have to believe Jesus is carrying even more of our burdens than we are.
Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.
John 15:20
