I’m a generation X’er that is so out of touch that I hear “I guess you haven’t been on Facebook recently” from my mom. So I was not surprised that I was introduced to a new slang for perfect – which is Fleek – from our Pastor. However, even without knowing that term, I’ve definitely sensed an increasing pull to be perfect. We can’t make mistakes at our jobs, we need to be the perfect parent, we need to start in the perfect school to get into the perfect college to get the perfect job to obtain the perfect life. And we’re all feeling the pressure. Now God tells us we have to be perfect in his eyes too? Don’t we have enough to worry about?

But here’s the kicker: we can never be perfect in God’s eyes, and nothing that we DO can help pay back the sins that God has forgiven through Jesus. So we shouldn’t look at being “fleek” to God as a task that we add onto everything else we need to accomplish, because WE can’t. So how do we get there?  It all starts by making a commitment to God. To follow, to pray with, to listen, to obey… to have a relationship with God. Believe it or not, Christians that have already made the decision to follow God struggle with this, because we all still live in the same world, and our efforts to follow God are thwarted by the same obstacles that affect everyone. The idea of making God first in our lives can seem unsurmountable at times.

The problem is that we forget how powerful God is. How can we make time to pray when we’re working 80+ hours a week? The reality is if we pray, God will change our work situation so that we can thrive while working less. How can we donate money when we can’t afford groceries? The reality is that if we dedicate to God a portion of what he’s given to us, the circumstances that cause financial stress (prolonged illness, car troubles, fines) are taken away. These are just a few examples of the infinite ways that God enriches our lives if we choose to follow him fully. A good friend made this summation: “God doesn’t call the the already equipped, he equips the willing.” So as long as we say “yes” to God’s will, he gives us the power to do whatever he asks.

Even knowing all this, it’s incredibly difficult to do it on our own. The world is a noisy place, and God’s will and words for us can easily get misunderstood or lost in the chaos. This is why church is so important. We need a community of people that have been and are going through the same challenges that we are going through and driving toward the same goals to succeed. You can see it in everything we do – even unrelated to church. If we want to get in shape, we’re more successful if we join a gym. If we’re going to reach corporate goals, we’re more successful if we regularly meet in teams to check on benchmarks and set short-term tasks. Likewise, we need mentors and coaching to be a Christian, and church is where we find them.

I worry that the assumption of church is that it’s a perfect place, full of perfect people, or rather people that think they’re perfect. That’s not the case. We know that we all make mistakes. The only difference is that Christians seek God. It doesn’t make us better than anyone else. We are all sinners and need God’s grace, and being in a community with other believers ensures that we have the support and wisdom we need to truly follow God. Click here to listen to the entire sermon.