There is a insightful story told of the man who was looking for the perfect woman.
At last, he found her!
People asked him: “Well, if you found the perfect woman, why didn’t you marry her?”
A long pause. “She was looking for the perfect man!”
All human beings are a combination of great strengths; but they can also be so flawed!
The wonderful story-teller can be the life of the party. People enjoy this person – but they can also be so boring because they focus all the attention on themselves and are poor listeners!
We have all be let down by people we thought we could count on. When we were in trouble and needing assistance, they were no where to be found! We know the world of broken promises.
It is very difficult to live with such flawed persons. But then, they will say the same thing about us. We may not be aware of our weaknesses and faults, but everyone else suffers through the flaws of our personality.
The observation has been made that if we honestly knew ourselves for who we really are, with all our strengths and weaknesses, we would all be humble. We may be quick to be offended when someone criticizes us, but if we felt the full impact of our criticism of the faults of others, we would certainly walk in humble shoes.
This is how we come before God: we are loved, wanted and chosen – but oh how flawed!
Take a look at the women and men that Jesus choose to be part of God’s great work of salvation. Peter was boastful – but he denied knowing Jesus at a very crucial moment. The disciples were guilty of arguing about who was the most important (talk about an ego trip!).
And then there was Judas who sold him down the river for money! Could you find a group of human beings who were less flawed than the disciples?
And this is the great mystery of our redemption. God walks with us, chooses us, who are such flawed individuals. This is not the height of humanity – but it is the plodding of weak human beings who have so many weaknesses.
If you turn to the fourth Gospel in the New Testament, the gospel fo John, and you hear the story of the woman taking in adultery. The Jewish law was correct: her punishment was to be stoned to death!
What does Jesus do? He gets down, writes in the sand, “Whoever is without sin, you cast the first stone!”
And they all slinked away! They were caught in their own evil trap!
Today, spend some time reflecting on your own weaknesses, your own flaws. What are they teaching you?
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