Written byMichelle 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)

Written byMaria 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 perfectionbecause 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.

Written byLiliana Henriquez, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Bogota, Colombia.

When you first heard this verse, "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect" (Mt 5:48 NIV), what did you think? Did you associate it with "always behaving well"? I don't remember exactly what I thought, but I probably would have had the same thought. That's a pretty simplistic view of what Jesus really meant.

Today, after several years following Jesus, I realize that holiness is not a destination that we arrive at and remain, but a path that we travel day by day. From experience, I am convinced that holiness is a process of transformation whose goal is to make us ever more like Christ: in His actions, in His way of thinking, of treating others, and of living in obedience to the Father's will. In other words, God perfects us little by little, from glory to glory.

What does this imply?

It implies that we have a lot of work ahead of us. The version of us when we started this race cannot be the same as the one that ends it. We should come to the encounter with Christ as transformed women.

What can we do?

1. Recognize that following Christ has a cost.

Jesus was clear: following Him means giving one's whole life to Him (Lk 14:25-33). We no longer command ourselves; we have voluntarily decided to let ourselves be guided by Him.

2. Obey with submission and love.

If we already recognize that the Father's will is our priority, then we must surrender to Him with trust and love.

3. Cultivate an intimate relationship with God.

We are soldiers in an army commanded by God. To fulfill our purpose, we need to hear His instructions and be in tune with Him through prayer, the Word, and constant fellowship.

It is easier said than done.

However, as the saying goes, “Practice makes perfect.” If we want to be women of faith and holiness, we must practice, practice, practice... until our character is strengthened and it becomes more natural for us to bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit in any of its nine "tastes": love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Gal 5:22-23).

It's not going to go perfectly on the first try. But if we continue to strive with the help of the Spirit, we will be holy as He is holy.

I encourage you to keep moving forward, you're doing well!

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

Sword fighting has never been a sport that appealed to me. If I were to try, I know I would be ill-equipped to wield such a weapon. It would require training, strengthening, and a lot of practice. 

Ephesians 6:17 compares the Word of God to a sword, the final piece of the armor of God. The writer of Hebrews states that it is sharper than any two-edged sword (4:12). And in Paul’s instructions to Timothy, he states that the Scriptures can be used to teach, rebuke, correct, and train in righteousness (2Ti 3:16).

We hold a powerful weapon in our hands. And we need discernment for how to use it wisely. We don’t cut a sandwich in half with a machete. We don’t use a kitchen knife to cut back the aggressive vines that are growing around the house.

If I am going to put the Scriptures into practice wisely, what do I need to do?

1. Know the Scriptures. Keep them at the forefront of my mind, heart, soul, and strength. Speak of them when I sit and lie down (Dt 6:4-9). Hide the words in my heart (Ps 119:11).
2. Know the Author of the Scriptures. I can put the Word of God into practice better if I know the One who is speaking (Jn 12:49). “If you really know me, you will know my Father as well”(Jn 14:7 NIV). The more I hear His Word, the more I will know His voice and be able to discern what is not of Him.
3. Respect the context of the words in the Word.TheBible contains 66 books that were written in a variety of styles for a broad audience at different points in history and culture. Even if I don’t know all the background of the audience to whom the book or chapter was written, or about the writer of the book (inspired by the Holy Spirit, 2Pe 1:20-21), I can focus on the context of a verse within the entire chapter or book of the Bible.
4. Put the Scriptures into practice.Just do it!The Bible is the one book that cannot be fully understood until it is practiced.
   James 1:25 says, “But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.”
5. Learn from my mistakes.Accept grace and move forward wisely. I can fall into the accuser’s trap of critique or condemnation when I look back at the foolish ways of my past (as a non-Christian or even as a young Christian when I didn’t practice the Scriptures wisely). Instead, I can hear Jesus’ words and follow Peter’s or others’ example.
   When Jesus tells Peter that he will betray Him, Jesus offers him the hope of redemption and purpose on the other side of that mistake. “But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers” (Lk 22:32).
6. Trust the Holy Spirit to remind and guide me.When I get distracted or discouraged, I can easily forget the Word and God’s promises. “All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you” (Jn 14:25-26).
7. Pray, persevere, and pray some more. God honors those who seek Him. God hears my prayers and knows my desire to follow His Word and to show Him my love through obedience. He also knows that I am human and will have times of weakness along the journey. Paul expresses a similar sentiment in his letter to the Philippians.

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. (Php 3:12-14)

Thank you for your desire to put the Scriptures into practice wisely. What have you learned that has helped you do that? How can you encourage others and be encouraged to continue in that mutual goal?

Written byCorina Díaz, volunteer with Iron Sister Ministries in Buenos Aires, Argentina

A few years ago, I decided to learn to play the guitar. I dreamed of being able to praise God with my own hands, play chords, and sing to Him freely. I practiced, I got frustrated, my fingers hurt, some notes came out wrong, and I compared myself to others. And, on more than one occasion, I thought, “This isn't for me. I'll never be good. I'll never be… perfect.”

And then that phrase became familiar. I repeated it to myself in many other areas of my life:
"But I can't be perfect…

…as a wife,
…as a friend,
…as a daughter of God.”

Sometimes we demand so much of ourselves that we feel that if we fail to meet a visible standard of "holiness," then we are not worthy. We forget that the Christian life is not a life of perfection, but of redemption.

Jesus doesn't ask us for perfection. He offers us transformation.

There's a cultural and often religious pressure to "do everything right." But Jesus never called perfect disciples; He called fishermen, tax collectors, women with difficult pasts, impulsive young people, and ordinary people like you and me.

Jesus doesn't expect us to come to Him fixed; He welcomes us broken and restores us.

My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.(2Co 12:9 NKJV)

This verse changed my perspective. I don't have to be enough. I don't have to do it alone. Jesus’ perfection makes up formy weakness, my clumsiness, my falls, and my imperfection.

Does practice make perfect?

We could say yes if we understand that practice isn't just about doing things well, but about allowing ourselves to be formed by the Master. Our practice is to surrender every day, to try again, and never to give up. We do this not to achieve human perfection, but out of love for the One who loved us first.

…being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. (Php 1:6 NIV)

God is working in us; we just have to allow Him to do it: surrender to Him what we are, what we are not, and what we cannot be, because when we do, He works wonders.

I want to share with you my prayer, which I titled: 

Prayer of the Heart

       Lord Jesus:
       I come to you just as I am.
       Not perfect, not enough, not capable on my own.
       But here I am, with my weaknesses, my failures, and my attempts.
       Thank you for not asking me for perfection, but for a relationship.
       I surrender my imperfections, my desire for control, and my fear of failure to you. Teach me to practice Your presence, Your Word, and Your grace every day.
       And may my life be a work in Your hands.

       Amen.