You join us for another edition of Word Alive – my name is Brenda Critchley and heres our Bible Teacher, Dr Derek Stringer. Many thanks Brenda – and welcome to Word Alive everybody – Im so glad that you are fall ining us for the following few proceedingss. I had to smile when I heard the narrative of the hubby and married woman that were holding some jobs at place and were giving each other the soundless treatment.A The following hebdomad, the adult male realised that he would necessitate his married woman to wake him at 5:00 AM for an early forenoon concern flight. Not desiring to be the first to interrupt the silence ( AND LOSE ) , he wrote on a piece of paper, A ” Please wake me at 5:00 AM. ” The following forenoon the adult male woke up, merely to detect it was 9:00 AM and that he had missed his flight. Ferocious, he was approximately to travel and see why his married woman had n’t awakened him, when he noticed a piece of paper by the bed. The paper said, “ It is 5:00 AM. Wake up. ”

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Communication — such a critical portion of maintaining matrimonies healthy! A

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Absolutely Brenda – Show me a married twosome holding jobs and I ‘ll demo you a twosome that ‘s holding trouble communicating.A The greatest of jobs can be solved with good communication.A Even the smallest of jobs can be unsurmountable without it! A Remember when you were dating? A You spent a batch of clip speaking to each other.A You could pass hours on the phone at a clip, sharing your sentiments and your penchants, or merely speaking about what ‘s traveling on.A But so you get married, you get to cognize each other and you tend to discontinue speaking and quit hearing ( particularly husbands! ) .A A

Strong households communicate often.A They talk about anything and everything.A They besides listen to each other.A If a member of the household is n’t pass oning, they find out why.A ” What ‘s the job? A Let ‘s speak it out, allow ‘s work out the trouble. ”

Be willing to talk.A Be willing to listen.A A And, possibly most significantly, make clip for both.A In our feverish universe where everybody is running in different waies all at the same clip, we need to do clip to be with each other and communicate.

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As the adage says, “ Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, Sweetness to the psyche and wellness to the castanetss. ”

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And Word Alive is all about pass oning – merely it ‘s taking the Word of God and allowing what God has to state truly hit place.

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And today ‘s bible transition truly will hit place.

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Absolutely! We ‘ve been working our manner through Paul ‘s missive to the Galatians. It ‘s all about Inner Freedom –

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If you ‘ve missed a message in the series we have recordings available merely for the managing charge -Transcripts are free to an electronic mail reference.

We ‘ve reached Galatians chapter 3 and the first 3 poetries. I ‘ll notice here and at that place. But allow ‘s let the really direct communicating of this transition to hit home.A

Here ‘s Derek.

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Gary Richmond has written books about his experience as a Zoo Keeper. In one narrative Tells of some Red-Tailed Hawks. They were the grounds against Poachers so now they were all caged in. This would intend that they would ne’er wing free once more. Saved from one signifier of bondage they were non doomed to another.

Many Christians are merely the same. Forgiven but non free. Saved by grace but crunching off at the Christian life. The coop door is unfastened but we stay in the coop.

Today I want to speak about Walking Free – I mean by that, free from the prison of ‘perfectionism ‘ . The Gospel frees us in some fantastic ways and this is one of the most important. My hope and supplication is – that by the clip we ‘ve studied Galatians 3 poetries 1 to 3 – we will hold a assurance about ourselves which will intend we will walk out of the prison of our ain devising into the liberty Jesus wants us to cognize.

Now – ‘freedom ‘ agencies different things to different people. We hear a batch about freedom of address, freedom of faith, or freedom from the fright of failure.

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There ‘s a vocal with the line,

“ Freedom ‘s merely another word for nil left to lose. ”

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And Galatians is about Inner Freedom. Let nil rob us of such autonomy.

Now – Galatians 3 poetries 1 to 3 Paul explains it this manner – Brenda! –

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Reading from poetry 1, “ You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your really eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. I would wish to larn merely one thing from you: did you have the Spirit by detecting the jurisprudence, or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? After get downing with the Spirit, are you now seeking to achieve your end by human attempt. ”

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That Is the expletive Of ‘perfectionism ‘ . Saved by God ‘s grace and so seeking by human attempt to populate the Christian life.

My undertaking today is hard, because ‘perfectionism ‘ sounds so good.

Some words sound good but are n’t.

‘Humanity ‘ is a good word, ‘humanism ‘ is n’t.

‘Feminine ‘ is good, ‘feminism is n’t.

‘Legal ‘ is good, ‘legalism ‘ is n’t.

‘Perfect ‘ is good, ‘perfectionism ‘ is non.

Now – what is perfectionism?

It is judging yourself by your accomplishments and striving at impossible ends.

It is mensurating your ain worth wholly in footings of achievement.

It ‘s the ‘performance trap ‘ – and it ‘s easy to make.

A ‘perfectionist ‘ says, “ I must, I should, I ought. ” They are a goaded individual.

We can see it in the ‘natural ‘ life every bit good as the ‘spiritual ‘ .

One adult male said, “ I ‘m married to a adult female who is a ‘perfectionist ‘ . If I get out of bed during the dark to travel to the small room, when I come back my side of the bed is made up! My married woman is the sort of adult female who would set newspaper under the fathead clock! ”

That ‘s a ‘perfectionist ‘ ! And Paul says this is foolish.

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“ Who has bewitched you? ”

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They are moving as if person has cast a enchantment over them. Person has hypnotised them.

Here ‘s a minor but relevant point. Paul still writes a sound response. The Holy Spirit does non work in a vacuity. He uses words. Paul carefully responds to the job in the Church.

And allow me says this really clearly. I am convinced that many of us need to be liberated from the Prison of Perfectionism.

Let ‘s first expression at life behind bars.

What is ‘perfectionism ‘ like? What are the Markss?

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Plato said that “ The life which is unexamined is non deserving life. ”

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Yes – and we must be honest with ourselves and have up to the job if we have it.

First of all – A Perfectionist Is Never Satisfied.

Perfectionism is a stealer. It steals joy, peace and satisfaction. Why? Because ‘perfectionism ‘ is inaccessible. Therefore, it leads to defeat.

Grace teaches us that God does n’t accept us on the footing of our public presentation. If we think that God accepts us on the footing of what we do we ‘ll happen that we ‘ve ne’er done sufficiency. And we ‘ll ne’er experience accepted.

And what will be the consequence? We will acquire angry at God for puting such a criterion. Or, afraid of God because we ca n’t make it.

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Person may state, “ But we achieve more if we ‘re perfectionists. ”

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No! Did you know that in the material universe ‘perfectionists ‘ earn less money than those who are non?

What happens is this. They are ne’er satisfied by what they have done.

Second: Perfectionist are critical of what other people do.

They do n’t bask their religion, and they do n’t desire anyone else to bask it either.

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Their list of regulations is longer than Supreme beings!

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And they impose it on other people. If you are married to a ‘perfectionist ‘ you can ne’er delight them.

One Sunday afternoon a married twosome were out driving. The ambiance between them was frozen because of some dissension. Passing a field with a donkey in it the hubby broke the silence and asked, “ A relation of yours? ” She was more than a lucifer for him. Quick as a flash she replied, “ Yes – on my hubbies side! ” And back they went to their stony silence.

Make you cognize why some parents want perfect kids? Because they have to be perfect parents. That ‘s why some kids ne’er feel accepted by their parent and by and large stop up arising.

I know a adult female with a show window place. Dust does n’t settle in that house – it ‘s excessively scared to make so! It ‘s a lovely place but regards are ne’er plenty. Her criterions are excessively high. Family do n’t bask the place because it ‘s a house more than a place.

Make you understand what we ‘re acquiring at here? We must larn to accept our imperfectnesss.

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As James says, “ Confess your wickednesss to each other and pray. ”

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Peoples likely know them anyhow.

One adult male was speaking to a group of people about acquiring to a province of sinless flawlessness – and he was suggesting that he could hold arrived at this all right province. Then his married woman commented, “ Remember John, I ‘m here! ”

When Joshua was told that he would take the Children of Israel into the Promised Land, God said that they would take the land ‘little by small ‘ . It would n’t go on all at one time! The same is true in Christian life. It ‘s a growing curve non a sudden event.

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Have you heard the expression, “ Do n’t put impossible ends ” ?

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It ‘s a good stating Brenda. If you do put impossible ends good – you will neglect and stop up a hypercritic of yourself.

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Let ‘s travel on to the 3rd grade of the ‘perfectionist ‘ .

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Okay – Perfectionists are idealists non realists.

Make you cognize that no 1 is ready to function God? Jesus had no semblances about people because he was a realist. We need to be disillusioned. After all, who wants to populate in semblance? And if you think people or state of affairss should be perfect you are populating in a dream universe.

Divorces happen because a couple start with an ideal which runs into an ordeal and frequently concludes with a new trade! It is frequently the consequence of non understanding that matrimony is two imperfect people in an imperfect universe.

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A ‘perfectionist ca n’t cover with world.

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Jesus one time said, “ I have many things to state to you but I ca n’t state you now. ” Why? Because He was a realist. He knew it was non the right clip. They would travel into overload and non be able to manage the information.

Fourthly: A perfectionist has to be THE best non HIS best.

You ought to be your best but you do n’t hold to be the best. Do n’t acquire disquieted because person can make more than you. Accept who you are!

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The apostle Paul put it like this: “ Do non believe of yourself more extremely than you ought, but instead think of yourself with sober opinion. ”

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And portion of a sober opinion of ourselves is to tag these down every bit clear marks of ‘perfectionism ‘ – Dissatisfied, Critical, an Idealist and wanting to be THE best.

A ‘perfectionist ‘ values himself by what he does and obtains instead than by what he is. That ‘s where he gets his ego worth.

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A authoritative illustration is Mary and Martha. Whereas Mary was willing to allow some facets of cordial reception go in order to pass clip with Jesus, Martha was different. The repast and presentation had to be merely so.

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A ‘perfectionist ‘ feels guilty if he of all time relaxes. He does n’t see God as a good God but as a demanding God.

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He wants to be accepted and is seeking hard to gain his credence.

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Precisely!

Fifths: A Perfectionist is project-minded instead than process-minded.

You do n’t desire to drive with a ‘perfectionist ‘ . Their end is to acquire to the finish every bit fast as possible to acquire on with the following undertaking.

The great architect Frank Lloyd-Wright Tells of a important incident in his life when he was 9-years-old. He was walking across a snow-clad field with his uncle. More right, he was zig-zagging across the field. His uncle said, “ Frank, you will acquire to the finish faster if you move in a consecutive line. Young Frank idea of all the interesting things he might lose if he did that and determined from that minute on to ever walk in a zigzag form!

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Psalm 127:2 says, “ In vain you rise early and remain up tardily, laboring for nutrient to eat, for he grants sleep to those he loves. ”

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You ‘re non iniquitous if you sleep, it ‘s a God-given gift. However, some people are so goaded that they rob themselves of that gift.

Amy Carmichael served as missional in India for many old ages. Listen to what she wrote:

“ If I can bask a gag at the disbursal of another,

If I can in any manner little another in conversation, or even in idea,

Then I know nil of Calvary love.

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If I belittle those whom I am called to function,

Talk of their weak points in contrast with what I think of as my strong points ;

If I adopt a superior attitude,

Then I know nil of Calvary love.

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If I can compose an unkind missive,

Speak an unkind word,

Think an unkind idea without heartache or shame,

Then I know nil of Calvary love.

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If I do non experience more for the grieved Saviour than for my disquieted ego

When troublesome things occur,

Then I know nil of Calvary love.

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If I take offense easy,

If I am content to go on in a cool unfriendliness,

Though friendship be possible,

Then I know nil of Calvary love.

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If psyches can endure aboard and I barely know it,

Because the spirit of understanding is non in me,

Then I know nil of Calvary love.

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Amy Carmichael was a reverent adult female and there ‘s no manner I want to take away from that. However, there ‘s an strength about those words of hers which could be worrying in some one who misapplies them.

Always remember that you ca n’t fall FROM grace. You can merely fall INTO grace. Calvary love is about people who in a muss and assisting them out non seting more public presentation demands upon them.

‘Perfectionists ‘ set impossible ends.

And sixthly: They have an immoveable guilt.

He dwells on his failure and punishes himself for holding failed. After-all God has n’t forgiven him so why should he forgive himself?

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Thank God Paul learned better.

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Yes – he would compose about the demand to ‘press on to the grade of our high naming in Christ. But he would besides compose, “ By the grace of God I am what I am. ”

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To the Galatians he said, “ Are you so foolish? After get downing with the Spirit, are you now seeking to achieve your end by human attempt? ”

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If God saved you by His grace do you believe plants will derive you acceptance? The congratulations the perfectionist wants is ever over the skyline.

Make you cognize the two things a perfectionist ca n’t truly accept? A compliment and a unfavorable judgment. Give a compliment and they will state, “ I could hold done better ” instead than a simple “ Thank you. ” Criticise him and good-night! That means you do n’t accept him because you ‘ve found mistake with something he has done.

Now I ‘ve talked about the prison itself and some people who live inside it. It ‘s clip for the ‘great flight ‘ . It ‘s clip to interrupt out of the prison of ‘perfectionism ‘ .

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Let ‘s speak about how we do that.

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Okay – First: Believe that God has accepted you by grace.

In Ephesians 1:6, Paul writes about the “ glorious grace, [ of God ] which he has freely given us in the 1 he loves. ”

Grace is contrary to human nature. Human nature wants to populate by guilt non by grace. Do you believe that God is numbering how many quiet times you have so that He can be happy with you? It does n’t work that manner, even though of class disbursement clip with God is really good and truly helpful.

Faith is our credence of God. Grace is our credence of God ‘s credence of us. When we accept the fact that God accepts us we are acquiring it right.

Some church members struggle with confidence of redemption and make you cognize why? They have ne’er understood credence by grace. They say they understand but still inquire: “ Am I good plenty? ” They keep traveling inside and draw out their backbones in morbid self-contemplation. They look at themselves instead than Jesus. They measure their worth by what they do, state and give.

Here ‘s a narrative I ‘ve come across which illustrates this.

Once upon a clip, in a land far off lived two childhood sweeties. She was a princess and a shoe-maker ‘s boy. They made a secret vow of love and exchanged rings. He did this with much vacillation because of their societal backgrounds. He felt that he must turn out himself to her. He joined the ground forces but ne’er rose through the ranks. He tried to go rich but remained hapless. He studied to be a bookman but could n’t cut it. In desperation he decided to conceal off from the 1 he loved. The princess saw him from the castle window – a forlorn figure go forthing the metropolis for good. She rushed to run into him and said why are you go forthing? He said, “ Because I am non worthy of you. ” She replied, “ Look at your manus. I gave you that pealing. A promise is a promise. ”

Real love is non a testimonial but a promise. “ Will you take this adult male or this adult female? ” What ‘s the response? “ I will. ”

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That ‘s what love is.

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Yes – Like the shoe-maker ‘s boy we do n’t hold to turn out ourselves to our Heavenly Bridegroom. If we live the Christian life based on our accomplishments and what we can make, make you cognize what happens? A cheerless sense of insufficiency hangouts us all our lives. “ If merely I can make this. If merely I could be that. If merely I had n’t done that thing. ”

Love is non a testimonial but a promise. Happiness does non come from fighting to turn out our worthiness. It comes from cognizing that person loves us “ warts and all. ” Some people ne’er learn that lesson and stop up with insecure relationships.

Like the cobbler ‘s boy they ca n’t love because they dare non trust. That ‘s non merely true of human relationships but of our relationship with God.

Do n’t misconstrue: nisus for excellence is a good thing. But non to acquire right with God but because we are right with him and we want to turn in the relationship nil impeding it. If you try to gain your credence you will remain in a religious prison. Interrupt out right now.

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Accept God ‘s grace.

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And so secondly: Accept yourself.

That does n’t intend doing peace with wateriness or selfishness. Re-programme your self-concept.

Womans! Do n’t listen to the propaganda which says, “ I ‘m merely a homemaker. ” Be person. You are loved and accepted as you are by Christ.

Work force! Where are you traveling to acquire your self-worth? From a athletics you play good, a auto, drink, sexual conquerings? ” See yourself as accepted by Christ.

All we need is Christ: and whom we have is Christ. Let Jesus look into your eyes and hear Him say, “ I love and accept you. I do n’t love you because you are valuable. You are valuable because I love you.

The 3rd thing is this: Learn to accept other people.

Do n’t demand flawlessness out of anybody else because they ca n’t give it. Stop demanding that your married woman be perfect, your hubby, your kids be perfect.

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Resign as the Managing Director of the existence and allow God be God.

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That ‘s it! They do n’t hold to gain credence with God so why should you demand it?

Make me a promise please – acquire out of the public presentation trap of bash more, do more and make more. Start to bask your Christian life.

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You are listening to Word Alive with Dr Derek Stringer and I ‘m Brenda Critchley. Today ‘s Bible survey is Galatians 3:1 to 3. If you ‘ve joined us in the center of the survey – good – it ‘s all about Inner Freedom – Walking Free from the large job of ‘perfectionism ‘ . We are doing CD ‘s available for the managing charge. Transcripts are free to an electronic mail reference.

Well – where does all this leave us? Back to Derek –

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Thankss Brenda. You know, lapsing into legalism is preventable and correctable.

We must get down with a right position of God. God is gracious, truly gracious. He ‘s non merely a God of grace when it comes to redemption. He is ever a God of grace. The lone manner He deals with His religious kids is through grace.

His wrath, and His choler will ne’er touch those who are His by religion in Christ. He accepts you when you perform and He accepts you when you do n’t. He would n’t love you one shred more if you were perfectly perfect, nor one shred less if you were perfectly horrid. He ne’er throws His grace in your face or attempts to dishonor you into obeisance.

I am non at all seeking to understate the earnestness of wickedness in the truster ‘s life. God hates sin no affair where it crops up. But I do desire us to gain that God ‘s grace is sufficient for our wickedness and while He hates the wickedness, He loves and accepts the evildoer. If you have a difficult clip believing that, it ‘s likely because you have a difficult clip practising it in relationships with other people ; but do n’t bury that there ‘s one individual whose wickedness you have frequently hated without detesting the person-your ain!

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So – We must get down with a right position of God.

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Second: We must derive a clear apprehension of the philosophy of grace. This is, of class, our end in this full series on Galatians. I honestly can non believe of any philosophy the apprehension of which can hold a greater impact for good in the life of evildoer and saint likewise than this philosophy. All of God ‘s traffics with us, from taking us in the first topographic point, to assisting us turn in our religion, right through to our entryway into His presence in infinity are saturated with unmerited favor.

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Third. . .

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We must larn the art of being obedient for the right grounds. The last thing I would desire to pass on today is that obeisance is optional. Yet I hope it is apparent by now that two persons may hold the exact same life-styles-do the same things, even abstain from the same things-and 1 of them be a rank legalist while the other is enjoying in the sunlight of God ‘s grace. The issue is non merely what they do or do n’t make — the issue is besides why they do or do n’t make.

The legalist “ does or does n’t make ” in order to gain God ‘s credence, or to gain other people ‘s credence, or to laud himself. The grace-oriented individual does or does non make out of love for Christ, out of concern for his testimony, and for the interest of his wellness and felicity.

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Fourth. . .

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We must avoid judging other trusters. One of the most revealing features of a legalist is his preference for judging other trusters by his ain pet consciences. He does n’t play ‘snap ‘ on Lord’s daies, and by George you ‘d break non either! But Paul says in Romans 14, “ Who are you to judge the retainer of another. To his ain maestro he stands or falls. ”

Surely there are times when we must judge ; already in this book Paul has called upon us to judge the misbelievers in the church. But that is non a licence to modulate the life style of our brothers and sister in Christ ; if we major on watching our ain behavior, we are likely to avoid legalism.

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And eventually. . .

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We must gain that no moral codification, nevertheless scriptural, can run into our demand for a life, critical religion.

Merely a personal relationship with a populating Jesus can make that. This is the cardinal issue!

Paul said in 2 Corinthians 3:6, “ The missive putting to deaths but the Spirit gives life. ”

Moral codifications are of import ; in fact they are indispensable. We human existences are such professional rationalisers that if we did n’t hold a moral codification given to us in the Bible we would seek to warrant most any action on the footing of expedience. But moral codifications in and of themselves are lifelessly. What is needed is a personal relationship with the populating Saviour who laid down the Torahs and with the Holy Spirit, who provides both the proper motive and the enablement to maintain them.

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Grace is the most of import word in the Christian ‘s vocabulary,

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except perchance for “ forgiveness. ” But since our forgiveness is provided by grace, the latter is likely the more cardinal and foundational truth.

God ‘s grace is what saves us, God ‘s grace is what we grow by, and God ‘s grace is what we need to widen to others.

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Thankss Derek. Word Alive is produced by the Good News Broadcasting Association – and it ‘s merely one of many wireless programmes we produce from our studio in Ranskill, Nottinghamshire that go out across the universe every twenty-four hours of the hebdomad. If you would wish information about us we ‘ll lief direct you our intelligence missive Sounding Out. And retrieve the transcript of this message by Derek Stringer ( and many others ) is freely available to an electronic mail reference. The Cadmium ‘s are sent merely for the monetary value of the handling.

I ‘ll give you our contact inside informations in a minute but I think this is a good clip to pray about what we ‘ve heard. Derek!

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Brenda – we need to underscore this – our Lord does n’t desire us populating a Christian life full of suppressions but free. He does n’t desire us remaining in a prison of our ain or anyone else ‘s devising. He wants us to walk free.

With that in head, allow ‘s pray –

Father, assist us to concentrate on developing a love relationship with a gracious Saviour. Alternatively of being proud of the legalism that so readily infects our lives, may we tout merely in the fantastic grace of our loving Lord.

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Word Alive will be back once more on this same all right wireless station and I hope that you ‘ll be able to fall in us for the following portion of Galatians.

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Word Alive is a Good News Broadcasting Association production and the squad here at Ranskill are praying for you. I ‘m Derek Stringer – Thankss for listening today and I hope that you ‘ll fall in us once more following clip. Until so – good pass for now and God bless you.

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