A Perfect God in my Imperfect World

Back in the day Joan Osbourne recorded the song, “What if God was One of Us,” where she poses that question- What if God were one of us? Just a slob like one of us?  Just a stranger on a bus tryin’ to make his way home?

Too often we don’t want to imagine our Holy God as a stranger on a bus. We have a hard time seeing him as a “slob” since he is called perfect.

Instead we put God in a tight box. We pack it with the beautiful language of the 16th century, touch it with white gloves, and dare not to let him see us as a mess.

But let me ask you this: what do you think the world was like when Jesus walked it? He walked the dirty streets as a simple man from a town of the outcasts. He didn’t speak in fancy words, dress in the best robes, or even hang with the respected leaders. He was a carpenter who said things that were outrageous. He touched dirt and dirty people. He hung with the outcasts, wandered from town to town, and was despised by the leaders of the day.

And yet He was perfect.

You see, perfect has no bearing on clean. Or messy. Jesus’ perfection is a part of his being, not a lifestyle.

For us to be a bit messy, or a little dirty, is not sinful. If you leave that mess in the kitchen because you choose to do something God-honoring it is going to be okay. If you choose to read the ESV translation because it makes more sense to you, God will be delighted because you are spending your time with him! And if you kneel at His feet in your yoga pants and dirty hair, He is going to embrace you for being His child. Its a personal relationship, and God knows just who you are anyway.
Don’t get yourself stuck on the little things. Even in His perfection, He simply wants all that you have to offer in its imperfect form.