Whiffle Ball

When my boys were really young, I would often be found in the backyard, pitching ball to them. I knew it was impossible for them to hit it every time. Actually, if they hit maybe three out of ten, it was an accomplishment. If I saw them wanting to give up too soon, I would assure them that no one hits the ball every time and encourage them to keep trying. In the end, if they really tried hard, even though they whiffed at more balls than they hit, I would still credit them with a job well done and maybe go get them ice cream cones. Logically, this makes no sense. Here were my children with a 30-percent success rate, and I was rewarding their effort. Likewise, God intercedes for us and counts us as righteous because of our hunger and our desire for him. (Matthew 5:6) Pretty amazing huh? The truth of the matter is that He doesn’t expect us to be perfect; we often expect us to be perfect. Let's quit striving for perfection and start living in this freedom!