Tetelestai Recovery

Redefining Perfection: Growing Into Your Full Potential


A tiny green tomato on the vine is a perfect tomato, although it does not have the color, flavor, or texture of a fully ripened tomato. The tiny green fruit is perfect, but it is not yet useful for its intended purpose. If it remains on the vine, the perfect green tomato will grow into its full potential. And throughout each stage of its growth, it will continue to be perfect.

Thus, we conclude that perfection is about potential. Perfection has little to do with current behavior or ability, but a lot to do with our mindset. Perfection is a state of being which maintains continuous momentum toward progress.


Tetelestai Recovery

Jesus’ Call to Perfection: Rethinking What ‘Perfect’ Really Means

If Jesus calls us to be perfect, but we say, “Oh no. I’m not perfect. Let’s be realistic, I will never be perfect,” then we are dismissing His invitation to venture into a new mindset and a leveled-up form of existence.

Before we can take that leap of faith though, we need to address this issue of perfection and what it really means. Can we trust God to bring us to a point of perfection? Can we believe that Jesus wasn’t just using performance hyperbole when He said we could be perfect like the Father?


Tetelestai Recovery

Declaring Christ’s Finished Work: Living Philippians 1:6 Today

“Being confident of this very thing, that he, who hath begun a good work in you, will perfect it unto the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:6)


It feels awkward to say we are perfect. We aren’t quite sure how to align the character qualities of honesty and humility with such a bold statement. It seems like a brag and a lie.

But, if we remove the dimension of time, we can most assuredly say that somewhere in time, it has happened. Therefore, we step outside of time and claim it now. We call out what God has promised and continue declaring it until the truth becomes our reality.  


Tetelestai Recovery

Jesus’ Call to Perfection: Can We Really Be Perfect?

“Therefore, be perfect, even as your Father who is in heaven is perfect.” Matthew 5:48


Why Jesus would make such an outrageous statement? How could we ever hope to be perfect?

Yet, based on this verse, if we claim that we are not perfect, we are speaking in direct opposition to these words of Jesus. We certainly don’t want to do that!

Since we believe that the words of Jesus are our truth, His invitation to be perfect sparks our curiosity and draws us into its multi-dimensional mystery. If He said it, it must be something reasonable and attainable. At least it is, somewhere in time.

When God said, “Let there be light,” He was speaking into the darkness. Therefore, when Jesus invites us to be perfect, He is speaking into our imperfections, calling for a manifestation of our original design.


Tetelestai Recovery

Have We Been Delusional in Our Spiritual Journey?

We still find it difficult to be joyful in these quiet times of testing. We prefer excitement and enthusiasm. It is easy to stay faithful when we are bombarded with supernatural events and scriptures that jump off the pages. It is natural to stay connected to God’s plan and purpose when we see growth and progress at every turn. It is effortless to love God’s presence when we feel the warmth of His love envelop us like a hug from heaven.

The testing times are not so easy to enjoy. We doubt ourselves. We doubt God. We doubt our progress. We doubt our faith. We wonder if our faith is just a delusion and the changes we experienced were not real at all. We flail around in an emotional free fall and without the support of our spiritual siblings, our minds may wander into a dark place.

When caught up in a moment of testing, we must resist letting our feelings and circumstances serve as a litmus test for our faith. It is not healthy, nor is it accurate.


Tetelestai Recovery

Signs Our Faith is Being Tested

What is the Testing of Our Faith?

  • When our feelings betray us and tell us we don’t love God like we should.
  • When our behavior slips into an old pattern and makes us believe we have not changed.
  • When the excitement and enthusiasm we once had for God seems dull and muted.
  • When we just don’t care about trying so hard, because it’s too much work.
Tetelestai Recovery

It’s Not a Red Flag: Understanding Spiritual Tests

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

James 1:2-4


****This is a Test. This is Only a Test.****

The times when we feel spiritually depleted or disinterested are not red flags for us to fret over. They are simply tests. The temporary times when we lack inspiration or get caught up in life’s drama have no bearing on our position in Christ or our commitment to His work.

We have come to understand that the testing of our faith can never happen during good times when inspiration flows freely, we are highly motivated, and praise songs play on a loop in our heads. Times of high spiritual energy and passion are thrilling, but they can’t do the work of generating patience. Only the testing of our faith can do that.


Tetelestai Recovery

The Electric Flow of Faith: Harnessing God’s Promises

The power of God flows into each person like an electric current. For it to have an effect, there must be a conductor to draw it out. Our beliefs create the cord that connects us to the Source.

An electrical outlet by itself will not turn on a fan. The receptacle may hold the promise of power to run the fan, but if the cord is not plugged in, the current cannot flow.

Imagine the outlet as one of God’s promises found in scripture. The cord is our belief which connects us to the current. Sure, we can become shamelessly independent from time to time, using arrogance and aggression to empower ourselves, but in that frame of mind, we are turning the blades of the fan by spinning them with our fingers. It is neither efficient, nor productive.

Self-induced exhaustion is the result when we resist plugging in and letting the energy flow. We use our own manipulations and self-defense mechanisms, rather than just resting on the promises of a hopeful future because of God’s goodness.


Tetelestai Recovery

Why Unmet Emotional Needs Can Deplete Us

We sometimes struggle in our relationships. We are confident, capable, and intelligent, yet the difficulty of certain interpersonal pressure makes us feel inadequate, insecure, and inferior. We sometimes invest ourselves in human connections but end up feeling depleted and exhausted. When our emotional needs are ignored, we feel short-changed. We need a place to find replenishment when our emotional pool runs dry.

We sometimes invest our emotional energy into relationships that consume us. We invest generously, with hopes of a healthy return, but face bitter disappointment when the dividends are given to another. Even when we invest into a mutually compatible relationship, we may still fail to see any substantial gains to our emotional portfolio.

We feel as if our investments should be growing and gaining in value but unfortunately, our emotional energy just does not replenish itself. Other human beings will not and cannot replenish us. Emotional needs are a problem. They have been a part of our lives, long before we knew what to call them.



Tetelestai Recovery

Embracing Positivity in Faith Communities

As we level up, we begin to realize how unproductive it is to spend time analyzing controversial topics or arguing over the meaning of obscure scriptures. We avoid the debaters and instigators. We steer clear of the loud, sweaty preachers yelling about sin and eternal damnation.

We choose rather to participate in worship services, recovery groups, and Bible studies that are surging with positivity and hope. Our fellowship gatherings serve as a recharging station where we plug into the power and become energized for the work ahead.

We focus on encouraging the gifts and talents of fellow believers.

We remain open to new opportunities, even though we feel awkward outside of our comfort zones. We understand that fear of the unknown is an obstacle everyone encounters, but it need not hold us back.

We stay open to change and ready to pivot at a moment’s notice, in response to the Spirit’s directives.