You’re Not Failing So Much as You Imagine

So I woke up on Monday morning, after having spent hours over the weekend writing Spanish lesson plans, picking up the house, catching up on laundry, and prepping four meals for the coming week.

And now I was feeling like a complete failure.

I moped around this house all morning going through a mental list of what I had not done. I did not mop the kitchen floor or clean a single bathroom. The last load of laundry was mildewing in the washer because I forgot about it. The paper reminding me to schedule Caleb for the SAT was still sitting on the counter, where it has been for a month. On top of all that, the very late present for my friend was still unwrapped, and I was convinced she was going to hate it anyway, because I always feel like a failure at buying that perfect gift.

Then my Bible study came to mind, and how I’ve been telling these ladies every week that God rescued us with a purpose.

“But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight without blemish and free from accusation.” (Colossians 1:22 NIV)

I snorted when I thought of this verse.

Free from accusation? Not feelin’ it, Lord.

He said to me, Free from MY accusation. 

That’s when it hit me that all these “failures” aren’t even on God’s list. It is not his voice that says, Look at the soap scum on your sink. For cryin’ out loud.

Which means I’m smooshin’ myself under my own thumb with accusation.

God is moving me forward toward blamelessness, even on this day when I have accomplished a lot but have left even more undone.

He is moving us ahead, and we are making progress toward his end goal of perfection. Do you know that?

And he does not fail.