Perfect...What Does That Really Mean?
“Be perfect, therefore, as your Heavenly Father is perfect”.
Matthew 5:48
What is your idea of perfection? That word has haunted me most of my life. I have striven to be perfect in many aspects, both big and small. I never wanted to get in trouble as a child. I never had to be punished by my parents for making a bad grade in school because I punished myself enough. I never wanted to face confrontation because that meant there was something wrong. As a young adult, I thought my plans were perfect, and I expected them to go as scheduled. All of it: my schooling, career, marriage, and pregnancies. It finally got to the point where my strive for perfection became a resentment to others that were dear to me. I was too hard on myself and others. We cannot live up to that perfection expectation. So, when Jesus talked about perfection it confused me. How can Jesus expect me to be perfect when perfection is not attainable?
I kept striving and I kept failing. That led to a cycle of guilt, sadness, and regret. I did not understand the concept of what was expected of me as a child of God.
Have you ever been there? Have you ever read the Bible and thought, “There is no way I can measure up to this?”
If we think that way, then we are thinking we have some form of control over when we are considered God’s child and when we are not. When we are a child of God, when the Holy Spirit dwells in us, we are made perfect through Him and only Him. Jesus was the example of perfection. Jesus’ love was demonstrated in the manner attributed to God the Father. When we became Christians and accepted Jesus in our hearts, we took on the characteristics of God. We are capable of loving others the way Jesus does and we were made that way, to be perfect.
Perfection is not attainable on this earth, but the day we see Jesus face to face, our perfection will shine.
We grow in stages of maturity throughout our Christian walk. No matter our maturity level, we are perfect in God’s eyes. We still have much room to grow in our behavior towards others, our devotion to God, our character, and our love.
Persevering through life and its struggles is expected of us as we progress toward completion. So, do you still look at this and think, “Nope, I cannot measure up?”
It has taken me a long time to realize that what I thought was perfect is not what God expects of me. God expects me to read and study His Word so I can understand what He is saying to me. God expects me to grow in my spiritual maturity meaning my love for others meets my maturity level, my holiness meets my capability, and my character meets my understanding of God’s character. God does not expect things out of us that we are not ready for. He meets us right where we are.
God’s kindness is extended to you, even in your imperfection. He meets you in the middle of your filth and disappointment. He walks alongside you, growing and maturing you every step of the way, until you are full and complete.
Jesus has really been speaking to me lately about not only extending grace to others but also accepting grace for myself. I need to let go of my skewed thinking of perfection and focus on His attribute of perfection. It is not about me, you, your children, your husband, your career, or even your ministry, it is about Jesus Christ, the author and perfector of our faith.
The definition of perfection is a state of completeness, flawlessness, or supreme excellence. The word “perfection” derives from the Latin “perfectio” and “perfect” from “perfectus.” These expressions come from “perficio” which means “to finish”, “to bring to an end.” This is so enlightening; we will not be perfect until the end. If you go to church at all, you have heard this over and over, but have you really let is sink in? These definitions make it even clearer. When our whole being (mind, soul, spirit) is fully complete, in the way that God intended us to be, we will be perfect. The end will be here, the old will be gone and the new will arrive. Ladies, reach for the finish line. Reach for the ultimate perfection. Stay focused on Jesus. A quote from Jennie Allen says, “As long as you are looking to your left and right…it’s real difficult to take much ground. Eyes to the front! Fixed on God. Fixed on your lane.”
Our Heavenly Father is the only One that is flawless. Jesus Christ demonstrated God’s flawlessness here on earth so that we could see what true perfection looks like. May we never give up striving to be like Christ but let go of what our idea is of perfection here and now. We are only perfect through Christ and His perfection is expected to flow from us.
Digging Deeper:
What lane are your eyes fixed on?
Are you living in accordance with your maturity level?
What is difficult about giving up the control of worldly perfectionism?
Ask God to help you focus on His perfection and to help you stop trying to achieve it on your own.