Defective

The God who made us also can remake us.  Woodrow Kroll

Many are ashamed to be seen as God made them; few are ashamed to be seen what the devil hath made them. Many are troubled at small defects in the outward man; few are troubled at the greatest deformities of the inward man; many buy artificial beauty to supply the natural; few spiritual, to supply the defects of the supernatural beauty of the soul.  Abraham Wright

Defective: having a defect or flaw; faulty, imperfect.

Have you ever bought something and took it home only to find out that it was defective?  For some reason it wouldn’t start, turn on or operate in the manner in which it was intended.  It’s aggravating to have to return something when you get it home and it doesn’t work properly.

Here is another question for you.  Have you figured out that we are all defective?  From the time we are born we are taught by those around us to be defective.  Some of us will be more defective than others depending on our environment.   So if we are all defective and we know we are, why don’t we acknowledge our defectiveness if we know it exists?  What stops us from acknowledging how messed up we are? 

Some of us haven’t been properly loved as a child so we don’t know how to love others.  Then there are those of us who later in life surround ourselves with people and friends who are bad influences on us so we add to our defectiveness by becoming more like them.  If you think about it, even the disciples who spent the most time with the only perfect person to ever live, Jesus, still fell back into the trap of defectiveness. Then there are the ones who think they are hiding their defectiveness from others when everyone knows how defective they are. 

I asked myself these questions this morning.  What makes me cling to my defectiveness and how do I overcome the defectiveness in my life?  First, I think we cling to our defectiveness because it is familiar.  It is like an old worn shoe.  It is easy to put on and comfortable. Second, we are often rewarded for our defectiveness.  The reward comes in the form of covering up our pain or fear, gives us an excuse to fail and sometimes compensates for some guilt in our life.  So we keep repeating what we have always done.  The third thing is Satan plants in our mind that we can’t fix our defectiveness so why should we even try.  He is constantly talking in the background trying to discourage us from working on the defect because then he wins.  I think another thing that happens is we compare ourselves to others and if we think our sin is not so bad, then it elevates us above the other person.  Then pride comes into play and we decide we are better than the other person so we remain in a constant state of defectiveness.

The second part of the question is the most important.  How do I overcome the defectiveness in my life?  First, I have to admit that I am defective.  This is the most critical part because if we can’t admit that we are defective, we will continue down the same path.  This is best described in 1 John 1:8-10.  If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.   

Second, I have to stop my defective behavior.  We see this in Ephesians 4:21-27.  If indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind.

So if you ever bought something defective and had to return it, how do you think God feels having created us in His image yet we allow ourselves to become defective.  God doesn’t want to return you to the store defective.  He loves each of us enough to keep pursuing us even when we are at our worst and He gave His only Son to prove that love. 

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, I am defective.  You created me without sin.  As a newborn baby I had no sin but as I grew up I allowed sin into my life.  I allowed Satan to worm his way into my life and bad habits were formed.  Help me to throw off the old me and embrace the new me.  When I was baptized I became a new person, but as the years go by it is easy to fall back into Satan’s trap of deceit.  Help me to overcome my defectiveness and become more like Jesus.  I can’t do it alone.

Scripture: The New Man

This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

But you have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.

Do Not Grieve the Spirit

Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another. “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil. Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need. Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.  Ephesians 4:17-32