No One Ever Told Me
Only God is Perfect
By Rev. Karl A. Francis
From a young age I liked to think of myself as one who strove for excellence, but after deep reflection, I realized it’s perfection that I really wanted. Striving for perfection is hard work and usually leads to attempting to do everything all by oneself. That approach is ineffective because no one is perfect.
Nevertheless, perfection was the only goal for me, especially when it related to planning an important event. For example, many years ago when I was helping to plan our wedding, what do you think I was aiming for? Excellence? No, perfection!
Our wedding was to take place in the church we attended, followed by a reception on the large lawn of a friend’s home. The lawn was big enough to host three hundred people seated at round tables. Back then, forty-plus years ago in Jamaica, weddings were not normally held at hotels or rental halls, but at homes on the lawn. Additionally, private catering was not always utilized because family members often donated large amounts of the food for the wedding reception. Our case was no exception. Our relatives gifted us with a whole pig and a goat, which were prepared by two renowned chefs at different locations.
For a wedding to be considered successful, the reception following the ceremony in the church had to be well planned and equally well executed. One had to ensure that no matter where the various menu items were prepared, they would be prepared perfectly and delivered to the reception venue on time.
The essential life lesson for me is that God alone is perfect. Hence, we who are imperfect beings can strive for excellence, but we should leave perfection to God.
Our wedding was scheduled for late afternoon. That morning I verified with the people responsible that everything was on schedule. Early afternoon I verified the schedule again, and, I admit, one more time just before the wedding ceremony! I was exhausted from checking on the event not by phone, but by physically visiting each location that prepared the items. Yes, despite my extreme effort to have a perfect wedding, I did manage to make it to the wedding on time, for I would not miss marrying Dyrie, the lovely woman God had given me.
You may be wondering how it turned out. Well, the ceremony at the church ended up going well as the presence of God was very evident. But the person transporting my lovely bride to the ceremony got lost despite his insistence that he knew exactly where to go. Dyrie was half an hour late due to no fault of her own. She had been dressed and waiting!
And we had more surprises. The photographers arrived early and took many pictures. Now remember, those were the days when rolls of Kodak or Fuji films were used and later processed. We considered ourselves fortunate to engage the service of a professional British photographer on special assignment to the government of Jamaica. We thought he must be excellent to have received such an assignment. Typically, a couple would receive their pictures a couple weeks following the wedding. But alas, after a couple weeks, we received the shocking news from the photographer that he had misplaced the rolls of film of our wedding. He may still be searching for them today! Can you imagine such a disappointment? Thankfully, we received some pictures taken by individuals with their personal cameras, but they were certainly not taken with multiple pixel cameras like most people use today.
The major lesson I learned from this experience is that no matter how hard you try to plan a perfect event, it seems something naturally goes wrong (Murphy’s Law). After my wedding, I began to keep score of events planned by me and others. I observed that somehow, despite meticulous planning, things do not always occur as planned, especially things out of one’s control.
Currently, I provide premarital counseling to many couples. During the final session I encourage them to not allow their day to be marred by events that failed to go as planned. Some will even hire meticulous wedding planners, yet later I still hear that something went contrary to plan.
Scriptures confirm in different passages that only God is perfect. Perfect means “without flaw.” God is perfect in every way. He is flawless!
He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he (Deuteronomy 32:4, NIV).
Both 2 Samuel 22:31 and Psalm 18:30 use the same words to declare that God is perfect in word and deed.
As for God, his way is perfect: The LORD’s word is flawless; he shields all who take refuge in him.
God’s perfection is evident in His character, His Word, and His actions.
God is perfect; we are not. But when He saves us, the Holy Spirit moves into our being and begins to transform our imperfections, to make us more like Jesus. How does He accomplish this? Through a process called sanctification. 2 Thessalonians 2:13 (NIV) states,
But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because God chose you as first fruits to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth.
The writer of Colossians says,
When you came to Christ, you were “circumcised,” but not by a physical procedure. Christ performed a spiritual circumcision—the cutting away of your sinful nature” (Colossians 2:11, NLT).
God’s goal is that we become “conformed to the image of His Son” (Romans 8:29). Although we know we will never attain absolute perfection in this fallen world, God desires us to pursue it. The pursuit itself is of great value because we are working in harmony with God’s plan for us. God is perfect. Jesus is perfect. Yet the essential life lesson for me is that God alone is perfect. Hence, we who are imperfect beings can strive for excellence, but we should leave perfection to God. We will realize perfection on the other side in heaven.
Now, I strive for excellence, and when things are not perfect, I smile and say to myself, “Yes, only God is perfect.”
About the Author
Having been involved in pastoral ministry for more than forty years, Karl A. Francis is lead pastor of Living Word Open Bible in Cooper City, Florida, which he and his wife, Dyrie, pioneered in 1993. He serves on the National Board of Open Bible Churches, USA, and the Board of Global Missions of Open Bible Churches, USA. He serves as the chairman for South Florida Keswick, a multi-denominational organization comprised of some twenty churches. He is also the South District Director for the Southeast Region of Open Bible Churches. A graduate of Open Bible College in Jamaica, Rev. Francis holds a master’s degree in finance from the University of Miami, Florida.
A former executive banker, Rev. Francis is a popular conference speaker in the United States and internationally. He has a strong passion for developing leaders who have planted several churches under his mentorship. He and his wife, Dyrie, live in South Florida and have two grown sons, Jonathan and Bryan.
Church planting always starts with a “yes.” We say yes and step out in faith to build a church – His church. The words of my collegiate pastor echo in my mind: “There will come a time when you have the chance to write God a blank check for your life.” My husband and I had a chance to live out Jesus’ words in Luke 9:24: “For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it” (NIV). We signed our blank check on life to follow Him by saying “yes” to joining our closest friends in a journey to plant Seek City Church in Burlington, Vermont.
Burlington is one of the most unchurched cities in the United States. There is a darkness over this city originating from many things: crime, drug addiction, homelessness, New Age spirituality, and deep-seated church hurt. Our team had a fresh vision and mountains of faith. We had leaders and coaches speaking life into us, encouraging us, and building us up to carry out this vision of salvation for the Northeast. We expected our church to be booming, that we’d start a movement that would spread like wildfire. Unfortunately, these expectations became my goal in our ministry – and everything else took a backseat.
I started feeling buried by the traditions and expectations of what a “successful” church plant looks like.
It starts with “yes,” but how does our “yes” fare when expectations are not met? When doors begin to close? When vision just isn’t enough? When strategy has run out? When we remain steadfast and the growth that everyone says will come…doesn’t? For us, planting began to feel like being buried. The soil was heavy with the lack of growth of our team, financial stress, distance from family and support, job loss, and a personal ongoing battle with infertility. These challenges made the already laborious journey of church planting seem nearly impossible. I started feeling buried by the traditions and expectations of what a “successful” church plant looks like.
I thought we needed the building, lights, signage, social media presence, and all other modern amenities, and I worked hard to obtain these things. But I was missing the one thing, besides Jesus, that we needed – the people! I was creating a place that looked and operated like all the churches I had seen, for people who wanted nothing to do with that kind of church. I was busy building a place for people to come, to fit neatly into this church box, when that wasn’t what the people in my city needed. That wasn’t who they needed us to be. That wasn’t who God needed us to be. In my well-meaning efforts, I didn’t let God lead me to reach people the way He wanted me to. The Lord began speaking the words from 1 Corinthians 3:7 into my heart: “So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.” When we said yes to the church plant, all the Lord was asking was for us to be obedient in following Him to fulfill the Great Commission. He didn’t ask us to have a foolproof strategy or methodical plans. He asked us to walk with Him and watch Him give the growth, especially when the growth looked nothing like we had planned.
It is worth it to follow Him when our plan doesn’t work out, when the church has no new visitors for weeks or months on end. It is worth it to surrender our expectations, and everyone else’s, for what He wants for His church. Maybe all the work, stress, worry, and doubt is for the one He wants – one person, one life, one encounter, one moment. Isn’t the uncertainty of our plan and the perceived failure of our efforts worth the one? Maybe instead of rows of seats filled with eager hearts, it’s all just for one seat, one heart. Would that be enough? Would you still say yes?
Maybe all the work, stress, worry, and doubt is for the one He wants – one person, one life, one encounter, one moment
God, being gracious and merciful, led us out of our planting season. In His sovereignty, He plucked us up from our mission field, and is continuing to lead us through a season of transition. The Lord has taught me that following Him will look nothing like we expect, and I praise Him for it. Church, I’d challenge you with this: Do we dare rethink tradition in order to reach the unreachable? Are we forsaking the “one” for the image of a successful church? How is the Lord stirring the hearts of the church to think differently in order to look, love and lead differently? Psalm 77:13 says “Your way, O God, is holy”. I pray that we all would follow His way, and not our own.
About the Author
Erika VanArtsdalen
Erika VanArtsdalen is a follower of Jesus, wife to her husband Kelly, and church planter. She has been blessed with ministry opportunities around the country, such as leading youth and collegiate ministry in Ohio, serving a new church plant in North Carolina, and launching Seek City Church in Vermont. Erika enjoys serving children with disabilities in her community in her day job as a speech language pathologist. She also loves spending time with her family, baking, finding new coffee shops, and playing with her English bulldog, Myla. Erika and her husband recently relocated to Buffalo, New York, to begin another church planting journey!
No One Ever Told Me
Plantados y Arrancados: Cómo renunciar a nuestras expectativas en la plantación de iglesias
La plantación de iglesias siempre comienza con un «sí». Decimos sí y salimos con fe para establecer una iglesia – Su iglesia. Las palabras de mi pastor de la universidad resuenan en mi mente: «Llegará un momento en el que tendrás la oportunidad de escribirle a Dios un cheque en blanco para tu vida”. Mi esposo y yo tuvimos la oportunidad de vivir realmente las palabras de Jesús en Lucas 9:24: «Porque todo el que quiera salvar su vida, la perderá; y todo el que pierda su vida por causa de mí, este la salvará.» (RVR1960). Firmamos nuestro cheque en blanco de la vida para seguirle diciendo «sí» a unirnos a nuestros amigos más cercanos en un viaje para plantar Seek City Church en Burlington, Vermont.
Burlington es una de las ciudades con menos iglesias en los Estados Unidos. Hay una oscuridad sobre esta ciudad derivada de muchas causas: la delincuencia, la drogadicción, la falta de vivienda, la espiritualidad de la Nueva Era y un arraigado dolor en la iglesia. Nuestro equipo contaba con una visión fresca y montañas de fe. Teníamos líderes y entrenadores que nos daban vida, nos animaban y nos edificaban para cumplir con la visión de salvación del noreste. Esperábamos que nuestra iglesia floreciera, que iniciásemos un movimiento que se extendiera como un fuego arrasador. Desafortunadamente, estas expectativas se convirtieron en mi meta en nuestro ministerio, y todo lo demás pasó a ocupar un segundo plano.
Empecé a sentirme sepultada por las tradiciones y las expectativas de lo que es una plantación de iglesias «exitosa».
Comienza con un «sí», pero ¿cómo reacciona nuestro «sí» cuando no se cumplen las expectativas, cuando las puertas empiezan a cerrarse, cuando la visión no es suficiente, cuando la estrategia se ha agotado, cuando nos mantenemos firmes y el crecimiento que todos dicen que llegará… y no llega? Para nosotros, plantar empezó a ser como estar enterrados. La falta de crecimiento de nuestro equipo, el estrés financiero, la distancia de la familia y el apoyo, la pérdida del trabajo y una batalla personal continua contra la infertilidad hacían del terreno una carga pesada. Estos desafíos hacían que el ya laborioso viaje de plantar una iglesia pareciera casi imposible. Empecé a sentirme sepultada por las tradiciones y las expectativas de lo que es una plantación de iglesias «exitosa».
Pensé que necesitábamos el edificio, las luces, la publicidad, la presencia en las redes sociales y todas las demás comodidades modernas, y trabajé duro para conseguir estas cosas. Pero aparte de Jesús, me faltaba la única cosa que necesitábamos: ¡la gente! Estaba creando un lugar que parecía y funcionaba como todas las iglesias que había visto, para personas que no querían tener nada que ver con ese tipo de iglesia. Estaba ocupado construyendo un lugar para que la gente viniera, para que encajara perfectamente en esta iglesia, cuando eso no era lo que la gente de mi ciudad necesitaba. Eso no era lo que ellos necesitaban que fuéramos. Eso no era lo que Dios necesitaba que fuéramos. En mis esfuerzos bien intencionados, no dejé que Dios me guiara para alcanzar a la gente de la manera que Él quería. El Señor comenzó a hablar a mi corazón las palabras de 1 Corintios 3:7: «Así que ni el que planta es algo, ni el que riega, sino Dios, que da el crecimiento.». Cuando dijimos «sí» a la plantación de la iglesia, todo lo que el Señor nos pedía era que fuéramos obedientes en seguirle para cumplir la Gran Comisión. No nos pidió que tuviéramos una estrategia infalible o planes metódicos. Nos pidió que camináramos con Él y viéramos cómo Él daba el crecimiento, especialmente cuando el crecimiento no lucía como lo habíamos planeado.
Vale la pena seguirle cuando nuestro plan no funciona, cuando la iglesia no tiene nuevos visitantes durante semanas o meses. Vale la pena renunciar a nuestras expectativas, y a las de los demás, por lo que Él quiere para Su iglesia. Tal vez todo el trabajo, el estrés, la preocupación y la duda es para lo que Él quiere: una persona, una vida, un encuentro, un momento. ¿Acaso no vale la pena la incertidumbre de nuestro plan y la sensación de fracaso de nuestros esfuerzos? Quizá en lugar de filas de asientos llenos de corazones ansiosos, todo sea sólo por un asiento, un corazón. ¿Sería eso suficiente? ¿Seguiría diciendo «sí»?
Tal vez todo el trabajo, el estrés, la preocupación y la duda es para lo que Él quiere: una persona, una vida, un encuentro, un momento.
Dios, lleno de gracia y misericordia, guio a nuestro equipo fuera de nuestra temporada de siembra. En Su soberanía, Él nos arrancó de nuestro campo misionero y nos llevó a una nueva ciudad para amar de manera diferente. Este año, nos hemos comprometido a llevar a Jesús a Buffalo, Nueva York. El Señor me ha enseñado que no se parecerá en nada a lo que esperamos, y le alabo por ello. Iglesia, me gustaría desafiarnos a todos con esto: ¿Nos atreveremos a reexaminar la tradición para alcanzar lo inalcanzable? Sin quererlo, ¿hemos estado abandonando al «uno» por la imagen de una iglesia de éxito? ¿Cómo está moviendo el Señor el corazón de Su Iglesia para que piense, mire, ame y dirija de manera diferente? El Salmo 77:13 dice: «Oh Dios, santo es tu camino.». Oro para que todos elijamos seguir Su camino y no el nuestro.
Sobre la Autora
Erika VanArtsdalen
Erika VanArtsdalen es una discípula de Jesús, esposa de Kelly y plantadora de iglesias. Ha sido bendecida con oportunidades de ministerio en todo el país, como dirigir el ministerio de jóvenes y universitarios en Ohio, servir en una nueva plantación de iglesia en Carolina del Norte y lanzar Seek City Church en Vermont. Erika disfruta sirviendo a niños con discapacidades dentro de su comunidad durante su jornada laboral diaria como patóloga del lenguaje. También disfruta el pasar tiempo con su familia, la repostería, descubrir nuevas cafeterías, y jugar con su bulldog inglés, Myla. Erika y su esposo se mudaron recientemente a Buffalo, Nueva York, ¡para comenzar otro viaje de plantación de Iglesias!
It’s easy to get excited about beginnings: the birth of something new, the start of a fresh place. But we often forget that both the beginning and end have a purpose. Finishing matters.
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful.
2 Tim. 4:17 NLT
What a beautiful reminder that we are not running this race to win; we are running to finish. Friend, God has positioned you in this time and given you specific gifts and talents to serve Him. Your race is now and it’s important. You’ve been handed the baton of faith and entrusted to carry it forward as you run your part in God’s divine relay. Here are some reminders as you run your race:
Train to endure
Do you remember what it’s like to run when you haven’t run in a long time? When you’re so out of shape that you can’t even run one mile without stopping several times to catch your breath? I am reminded of the intense training marathon runners go through. They train day by day, putting one foot in front of the other. Eventually, they can run many miles without stopping. This is because they build endurance and gradually adapt, allowing their bodies to train for the long haul. They don’t just train their bodies for endurance, but they also fuel their bodies properly to run the race. They change how they eat so their muscles can heal and rebound between runs, and they also store enough energy so they can function properly.
Like that of a marathon runner, your race requires proper training, nutrition, and self-discipline. It’s not just about the output but also about the input. God’s Word strengthens you and sustains you through your journey, and prayer and intimacy are where you rest, fuel, and receive the supernatural power of healing to continue.
Throw it off
I remember many times during a walk or a run when I realized I had a tiny rock in my shoe. Sure, I tried to ignore it, but until I took off my shoe to get rid of that little rock, it was impossible to focus on anything else. If not dealt with, the rock could rub my foot raw, cause wounds, or even worse, cost me the race. We all have things we need to throw off or get rid of.
In the book of Hebrews we are challenged, “Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us” (Heb. 12:1 NIV).
Maybe you’re in a season of transition in your race and the terrain is looking a little different. Just remember, how you leave a season will impact how you enter the next. If you leave offended, you start defensive. If you finish weak, you start fragile. If you leave healthy, you start strong. You are still running the race; what you pick up in one season is often carried into the next. Travel lightly! You cannot go where you are going without leaving where you have been. Once you’ve thrown off what you should not be holding on to, you are free to grasp new batons. Consider the power of carrying these batons into new places rather than dragging along the heaviness of old priorities, hurts and resentments, or sins and scars.
Rest
You cannot go where you are going without leaving where you have been.
Rest is vitally important when running the race. Sometimes to finish well, you need to rest. While you rest, Jesus moves. I have experienced amazing seasons of rest when I have seen God work in miraculous ways. A season of rest is just a season of catching your breath! There are seasons when you need to run, and then there are seasons when you need to stop and breathe… and that is okay. Some experiences are going to bruise you or knock the wind out of you. When that happens, take a moment and catch your breath. Remember, it’s not about winning the race – finishing is what matters!
Rest, if done properly, allows you to examine the reasons for your tiredness and relinquish what is not yours to carry. The trials, challenges, disappointments, obstacles, and hurdles you face as you run will naturally impact you. It’s not easy to go the distance, is it? The battles can be fiercer and the terrain rockier than you anticipated. Maybe, as you read this, your lungs feel like they are going to burst, and your muscles are burning because you didn’t know this would be so hard. Yet here you are, determined and locking eyes with the One who has numbered your days. Train to endure, throw off all that burdens you, and rest when needed. Keep your eyes on Jesus and finish well!
About the Author
Sarah Holsapple
Sarah Holsapple serves on staff at her church in Cedar Rapids, IA, as the Creative & Spiritual Development Director. She serves alongside her husband of almost 20 years, Pastor Harris, who is the Lead Pastor at First Open Bible. Sarah has been teaching and preaching for several years. She’s passionate about discipleship and women’s ministry and served as the Regional Women’s Director for Open Bible Central Region. One of her favorite things in life is being a mom to her two incredible children, Hudson and Lynnley Jo.
The last several years for Sarah have been the hardest of her life. She truly knows the depths of heartbreak and what it feels like to wrestle through healing. She has seen God move in miraculous ways and has experienced great comfort in knowing that we serve a faithful God. Sarah feels great joy in sharing encouragement from the word of God, seeing lives changed and people set free!
