Everyone has sinned and fallen short of God's glory. I know this verse well. It's what they tell you when you're sixteen and considering Christianity. We all fall short. We all need Jesus. But for years I missed the emotional weight: this isn't just a theological fact. This is an admission that we're all inadequate. We're all failures. We're all less than we should be.
I'm a perfectionist. Probably a product of having high-achieving parents. I've always measured myself against an impossible standard and found myself wanting. This verse used to make me feel worse. It just confirmed: you'll never be good enough. But then a therapist helped me see it differently. Paul isn't saying we're worthless. He's saying we're all in the same boat. All falling short. All needing grace. That's humbling, yes. But it's also liberating.
I can't make myself into who I should be through more effort. I can't achieve my way to righteousness. So maybe I can stop trying so hard and start accepting the love I'm offered. All of us fall short. That's not a mark of shame. That's the human condition. And it's the place where grace meets us.
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