I love to be in control.
The opposite of control is powerlessness – and that is terrifying.
So I try to manipulate every little thing in an attempt to make everything as perfect as it can be. It takes a lot of energy trying to control all these things, especially because if I am honest…
I can’t even control myself.
We crave perfection. We want to show the world we have it together. We demand perfection from ourselves, and worse we often expect it from others.
Even with all that effort, we can still feel like we are drowning in our imperfections.
I set out to make everything perfect or at least make it look that way. But it doesn’t take long before I have blown it. Not just how things look on the outside, but how I feel on the inside too.
The trouble is, I know what I shouldn’t be doing. But I do those things anyway. Paul says in Romans 7:15 “I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate”.
If it was only as simple as just knowing what to do then we’d be “there” already.
Why is this so hard to achieve?
Because I am living unfinished.
I expect perfection from myself that Jesus never expected from me.
He died for the flawed version of me. Growth takes time. Refining our lives takes time. He knew that. He wanted us anyway.
How do we live this life when we just are a work in progress?
Philippians 3:12-14 says “I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.”
Paul says we must press on. We must persevere.
Perseverance is defined as persistence in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success.
Living unfinished is a journey of perseverance not portraying perfection. We can find joy and confidence in living unfinished. While I may not be finished, Jesus declared on the cross that “It is finished”.
We can surrender our need for control, and the relentless pursuit of perfection to God. We can embrace the beautiful unfinished creations we are. We can stop trying to control every little thing. That does not make us powerless. We have instead given that power to God to make our hearts and lives beautiful in His time. Not because of what we control, but because of His work in our lives. Hebrews 12:2 declares “We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.”
We are messy. God knows we all have places where we fall short. He loves us with our imperfections, and we can love ourselves with our imperfections too. All our attempts to depict that we have it together, or our use of Instagram filters will never come close to the true glory God can create in us. We do not need a filter when we choose to look to Him instead to make us radiate His awe-inspiring work in our lives.
“And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns” (Philippians 1:6)
Living Unfinished is about honesty. It about embracing the messiness and struggles we all face. It is about accepting each other in all our unfinished places just as Christ accepts us. When we bring our struggles into the light, the darkness flees. And we no longer have to be on this journey alone. You may be unfinished, but I promise you this: you are not alone!