Devotional Day 32: I'm A Loser And Proud Of It!

• James 2:24 : "You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone."
• Matthew 3:8 : "Bear fruit in keeping with repentance."
• I know this is crazy y'all, but I have to confess something. I'm not perfect! I know, it's shocking! No one in life is perfect, but it's by making mistakes that we learn. It's by asking for forgiveness that we grow!

     I love James 2:24. Faith is such an important thing when it comes to Christianity. Yet, if you profess faith and do not show it, what good is it? No one is perfect in their walk with Christ. We all have down moments. Sometimes our mistakes are made through genuine misunderstanding. Sometimes mistakes are made intentionally! Our consequences through our failures are what help us grow and understand! Failures build character! They help you learn what not to do because, Lord knows, we can't always do everything right. We're human after all! Now, that doesn't mean you go out and do every bad thing you've ever wanted to do just because you think it'll all be washed away! Our failures are meant to teach us to strive for perfection. Don't ever beat yourself up over perfection. Some people spend so much of their time trying to be perfect that their happiness is just a facade. Life is meant to be enjoyed and embraced even the icky parts. In Matthew 3:8 it brings up an important rule. If you've done something wrong, talk with God! Tell Him you recognize what you've done. Ask Him to help show you the lesson through all of those things. He doesn't expect you to be perfect either. He just expects you to try your hardest. Like my mom always told me, "As long as you're giving it your all and trying, I'll always be proud of you." After all, it's not your failures that define you. It's how you learn from your failures and push on that define you.

                                                                          Questions/Application

• Do you sometimes obsess over perfection in any part of your life? If so, how does it make you feel? (Overwhelmed, frustrated, etc..)
• What recent lessons have you learned through failure?
• How can you show you're trying your hardest for God?