Being Perfect

Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect (Matthew 5:48 NIV). When you were growing up and heard these words, how would you feel? Like it was something to work toward or, maybe, that it was impossible? In our day and age, perfection seems like a dream that I’ll never reach. One could go as far to say that if you look for perfection, you'll never be content (Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina). Yet why do we work so hard to be? Just look at our social media. Perfection is all about the flawless photos, curated live reel, and the fully edited posts to show how great things are and that we don’t mess up. But the truth is, perfection is about as illusive as grabbing the air. The reality is we will never be perfect beings. We make mistakes. We miss opportunities. We get ill, are in pain, and fall short more times than we can count. So what did Jesus mean when he spoke these words? How can we be perfect as God is perfect.

It comes down to our understanding of the word being used here. Perfect, according to Scripture, isn’t the same usage as we throw the word around today. Our modern use of the word “perfect” is that we can never make a mistake, that we need to do whatever the task is over and and over again until we can achieve it with our eyes closed, or that we will reach our end goal by way of a straight line. And in that understanding, we’ve misunderstood what Jesus is saying. Christian perfection therefore does not imply an exemption either from ignorance or mistake, or infirmities or temptations. Indeed, it is only another term for holiness… Everyone that is holy is, in the Scripture sense, perfect (John Wesley, Christian Perfection, 1741). To be perfect, according to Scripture, is to move toward holiness every single day. To become more like Jesus every single day. 

The reality of our lives is that we will err. We will veer from the designated path. In truth, we are weak beings in need of something greater than ourselves. And it’s here that the truth of Scripture rings out. God said once to Paul, my grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9 NIV). In our weakness, God is strong. He is with us and moving us toward that end goal of our lives. But our end goal of perfection isn’t to never make a mistake, but rather to move toward holiness more and more each day. To be a little more like Jesus. The truth behind biblical perfection is less like an Instagram filter that pulls out all the unsightly things of our lives and is more like a sculptor slowly shaping stone into a work of art. Every day God chips away at the rough parts of our lives. Shaves off all the jagged edges and what doesn’t belong so that He can form us into something beautiful over time. Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect (Matthew 5:48 NIV). Move toward biblical perfection today, letting go of the unattainable goals of this world. Embrace the process He has you on to be a little more like Him each and every day.