We have such high expectations for ourselves and we feel that is God’s expectations for us, as well. We know that He is a holy God, perfect in every way, and we know very clearly that we are not. However, we often feel like He doesn’t understand that about us and He expects us to be perfect and have everything just right in our lives. It’s such a disappointment for you and I as we struggle with habits and consistent mistakes and find ourselves aware of all our shortcomings so we get constantly discouraged.

It is interesting that 1 John 5:3 says, “His commandments are not burdensome.” Since God‘s Word is always true and we are often wrong, we ought to merge God‘s truth with our own feelings and understanding. It requires study of the Bible for understanding. We know that God demands holiness and purity and repentance from His children. We never want to lighten up on His holiness or His requirement for us to live in a godly and holy way. However, He also understands and gave us commands to help protect us from ourselves and the evil lies of the enemy. In fact, God comforts us over and over again with His forgiveness. The more we know about Him, the more we realize He is actually a loving, kind, and patient Father. If He was not patient, where would we be?

Psalm 103:10 says, “he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.” We clearly see this every day as we fight this battle of godly living versus worldly temptation. It is necessary that each of us fight really hard to see the Lord as a coach, cheering us on, and as a player walking through all of these trials and temptations with us. We can obey all of his wonderful commands and see that He is taking his children through their lives and helping them all the time. I don’t expect that my own children will behave perfectly all the time and God does not expect that of His children either. He’s just calling us to a life of holiness and righteousness so that we understand what is the very best for us and to honor and glorify Him. Take the time to study the Bible and feel less guilty so you can enjoying the walk with Him as He leads and directs your every step.