The Calvary Road

"The simple truth is that the only beautiful thing about a Christian is Jesus Christ. God wants us to recognize that fact as true in our experience, so that in true brokenness and self-despair we shall allow Jesus Christ to be our righteousness and holiness and all in all—and that is victory." -Roy Hessin, The Calvary Road.

This little book has had a huge impact in my life and the lives of my Sisters loved by God. Together and as individuals we have been challenged, we have wrestled with our hurts and self will, and worked through some tough issues. As for me, the conclusion to this life altering book is that brokenness is a beautiful place. It is in brokenness that I have found, and continue finding, the wholeness of Christ. None of us is perfect, and for everything that we are not He says, "I AM." And I am fully content with that. Sinful. Broken. Humbled. Free.

"Rather, the reverse is true, for out of such confession God gets glory, for we declare Him to be right. This brings a new experience of victory in Christ, for it declares afresh that 'in me (that is, my flesh) dwelleth no good thing,' and brings us to a place where we give up trying to make our incorrigible selves holy and where we take Jesus to be our holiness and His life to be our life." Page 105

perfection has its limits

Psalm 119:96:  

I have seen the consummation of all perfection, 

But Your commandment is exceedingly broad. nkjv 

To all perfection I see a limit, 

but your commands are boundless. niv  

I have seen a limit to all perfection, 

but your commandment is exceedingly broad. esv  

Even perfection has its limits, 

but your commands have no limit. nlt

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Perfect: conforming absolutely to the description or definition of an ideal type, entirely without any flaws, defects, or shortcomings.

Perfection: the state or quality of being or becoming perfect.

The Psalmist declares that he has seen the consummation of perfection. We all know that there is a difference between speculation and witnessing. He has seen (witnessed, beheld, examined, surveyed, recognized, perceived with his own eyes) that perfection has its limits. This truth helps me understand that pursuing perfection is futile. Why chase after an ideal that will lead to a dead end street? 

I believe that we all long for perfection of some sort: outer, inner, intellectual, spiritual, or all around. We also expect perfection in others. We have this longing because it was placed there by God. But our pursuit is worldly and self seeking. "Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end." (Ecclesiastes 3:11) Eternity is the perfection we were created for and therefore long for it. Perfection here on earth has limits, perfection in Heaven is limitless.  

But your commands.

Commands is another word for God's Word. His Words are exceedingly broad, they have no limits, and are boundless. "For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable." (Hebrews 4:12-13) 

My encouragement to you for today, and forever, is to seek that which is eternally perfect (beyond compare, defectless, excellent, faultless, foolproof, immaculate, impeccable, pure, sound, supreme, unequaled, and flawless): the Word of God. Jesus is called the Word, even more reason for us to be more like Him. I am confident that if we take our eyes off of human perfection we will begin to life the abundant life promised to us. 

Sentence Tuesday

Don't be imprisoned by your need to be perfect, 

or your need for everyone else to think you are perfect. 

-Coleen York 

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Heavenly Perfection: Why our Desire for Perfect is Okay

We are girls who long for perfect.


The perfect look.
The perfect body.
The perfect life.
Perfect love.

In my own strivings and temptations to create a pretty little life, I am discovering that our craving for perfect is God-given; that our yearning for perfection is not bad - it's [gasp] perfectly okay.

I believe our insatiable hunger for perfect exists because God has set eternity in our hearts. Our weary souls ache for a place even more lovely and beautiful that our eyes have seen. A place where our hearts are whole and fully alive and will never be broken; a place free from the pains and pressures of our earthly life.

Our innate longing for perfect is why we're helplessly enamored by magazine images, spend hours on fashion and design blogs, and shop for pretty stuff we want and don't need.

We fail to acknowledge that our pursuit for worldly perfection flows from a sanctified spiritual hunger that will never be satisfied by all the beauty, clothes, guys and fine accessories our hearts could desire.

Our collective pursuit of worldly perfection has come with a costly price. Too many of us are living shallow, fruitless, inward-focused lives while the world around us cries out for our authentic beauty.

We are made for so much more.

True perfection awaits in our heavenly home, but how do you think we can keep from getting caught up in finding it here?

Posted by Allie Marie Smith
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