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Written by Maria Luzia Casali, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

It is God who arms me with strength and keeps my way secure. He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he causes me to stand on the heights. (Ps 18:32-33 NIV)

After more than 40 years of Christian life, I can say that the journey is not easy. However, our trust in the Rock must be strong.

For who is God besides the Lord? And who is the Rock except our God? (Ps 18:31)

This psalm shows that we are not strong on our own. Our foundation in the Father is what makes us strong.

How can we stand on this foundation?

First of all: FAITH. We need to have a very strong faith in God and His promises. We need the faith described in Hebrews 11:1 to endure trials.

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.

Also, believing that God fulfills His promises. I get very encouraged when I read Romans 8:28 because I know that God is not human; He does not lie.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Our faith is tested at every moment. We need not look at the problem so as not to sink in the waters like Peter in Matthew 14:22-33. We must keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, so that we can walk with Him.

Something very valuable and extremely necessary during trials is to be in prayer, asking for patience and wisdom.

So far, I've talked about the theoretical part. But what about in life? What should I do? I will now share a few times that my faith has been tested. 

1) When my parents died. Was there suffering? Yes. However, my mind wasn't on the grave. My eyes were on my Savior. He would give me the comfort I needed.

2) When all my friends were able to get pregnant and I wasn't. When I decided to adopt, and the process took over seven years on the adoption waiting list, where was my faith? In the Father's promises. "All things work together..." including not getting pregnant and the waiting time for adoption. It's not easy, but by praying and understanding the Father's will, it becomes less painful.

3) When my marriage ended. Where did I go? I went where I'd always gone: God's house, worshiping Him because I trusted in God's promises. And Matthew 6:33 was my anchor. It's a promise.

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

And God fulfilled it in my life!!!!!

4) When I discovered my son is neurodivergent. I prayed to see a specialist who was appropriate for his case. God never failed. In addition to complying with the treatment, I always loved, disciplined, and taught God's Word to my son. 

5) When my son left home to live with his father. What happened to my faith? This situation was the worst of all for me. I felt betrayed. I was very sad. But I always recalled God's promises, and today, I know it was better for both of us. 

Returning to the title of the text: Does practice make perfect?

Perfection characterizes an ideal being who possesses all qualities and has no flaws; a circumstance that cannot be improved.

For me, within this meaning, practice will not lead to perfection because we can always improve our faith and our quality of time with the Father.

However, the more time we spend walking with God, the closer we will be to perfection because it is He who clothes us with strength and sustains us. Our faith must be only in Him. Whatever trial may come, we will remain steadfast.

What I've learned over the years is that we need to take the first step. Faith is ours; prayer is ours. Once we take the initiative, He acts. First, we plant our feet on the Rock. Then, He makes us strong. May we press on from faith to faith until we reach our goal, which is the salvation of our souls (1Pe 1:9).

May our God continue to strengthen and bless us.

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Written by Michelle J. Goff, Founder and Executive Director of Iron Rose Sister Ministries

My humanity was never more apparent than when an overwhelming flood of conflicting emotions confronted me. My pursuit of holiness was confused by my incapacity to handle my tremendous sense of loss and pain. Romans 8 and the admonition to live by the Spirit and not by the flesh felt like a condemnation of my disorienting fleshly state of disarray. 

So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. (Ro 8:8 NKJV)

Wrestling through sleepless nights and an inability to verbalize my cries to God or hear others’ prayers on my behalf, I was faced with my profound imperfections. My fleshly humanity was my hindrance to pleasing God. I was doomed. 

The pursuit of holiness is a pursuit of perfection, right? “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Mt 5:48 NIV). 

This well-memorized verse from the Sermon on the Mount, along with the admonition from Romans 8, echoed in my mind as the accuser tried to use a misunderstanding of these verses against me. He wanted them to be definitive declarations of my condemnation. However, the Holy Spirit wrestled alongside me to defeat the lies and seek Truth. And so, I looked to the Truth, to Jesus, and His example. 

If Jesus came in the flesh, 100% God and 100% human (Jn 1:14), a condemnation of the flesh would imply a condemnation of Christ. Nope. Not happening. I cannot condemn the Son of God for coming in the flesh. He was perfect, a vital part of the Father’s perfect plan to send Him to earth for us (Jn 3:16). Greater truths came back to light and began to clarify my focus. Jesus even empathizes with us in every way, being tempted as we are.

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. (Heb 4:15)

We have physical flesh, just as Jesus did. And that was not what was being condemned. Jesus faced all the human emotions and conditions we face. Our physical flesh began without sin in a fallen world. It is our fleshly desires that lead us to sin (Jas 1:13-15). My light bulb of understanding grew brighter.

Jesus Christ, who came in the flesh, provided me a way to be human AND holy. I could learn from His perfect example about how to respond to the human emotions and conditions I face daily. 

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. (Ro 8:1-2)

As I go back and read the entire chapter of Romans 8, after Paul’s description of his own wrestling in chapter 7, my eyes fill with tears of hope and gratitude. God knows that I can never attain an imperfect pursuit of holiness on my own. He executed His perfect plan that we might come to know Him more deeply through our process of sanctification (making us holy through the blood of His Son). 

And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you. (Ro 8:11)

Today, I invite you to freedom from condemnation of your physical flesh. I invite you to put to death the fleshly or sinful desires. And if you’re struggling in this imperfect pursuit of holiness (not perfection), I invite you to utilize one of our resources, the book Human AND Holy, written during the time I was wrestling to comprehend the very points in this blog post. You are not in this pursuit alone. 

And to complete the thought of the verse we read from Hebrews 4, 

Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. (Heb 4:16)