The Meaning Of Perfection

Here's a shocker for you - I'm not perfect.

Now don't raise your eyebrow at me. You're not perfect either. And no, I'm not just figuring this lack-of-perfection out. But it really sunk in over the past couple of days.

In March I challenged you to send a card a day for a month. We could all think of 31 people who needed a word of thanks, encouragement or love. Seemed pretty simple - until the second week rolled around.

We start things with the best of intentions but our flesh gets in the way. You miss a day, so you decide to double up the next day. That works for a while, but then you make more excuses. Soon you're not doing things for the glory of God but to be able to actually check it off your to-do list for once.

I'm not perfect. I didn't follow through nearly the way I had planned. That's not to say that those who received cards didn't appreciate them or didn't give me a hug and a thank you. It just means that I didn't perfectly execute the plan I had in mind.

And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect. Genesis 17:1

God expects perfection from His children. Not "never going to sin, make a mistake or fail" perfection, though. In the Bible, perfection means mature, growing and seeking after the things of the Lord. God wanted Abraham to follow His commandments today, and then try again tomorrow, and do better the next day, and then try a little harder the day after that. There was no mention of not ever falling short.

There has only been one perfect person on the face of this earth and it was not you or me. Jesus Christ came to this world to walk among us as a sinless, perfect example of how to live our lives. Until we enter the gates of Heaven we will never be perfect. But we can follow the Lord's example and then mature, grow and seek.

I may have fallen short in my self-imposed challenge, but there are more important issues at hand. If we waste time in defeat over being imperfect, we'll never be available to serve the Lord. Instead, let's strive to make today a little more perfect than yesterday - in God's eyes, not our own.

God is my strength and power: and he maketh my way perfect. 2 Samuel 22:33

Comments

  1. Always LearningApril 11, 2011 at 8:23 AM

    http://lorialexander.blogspot.com/2011/04/i-am-not-perfect.html

    I had to laugh when I read your post today because my post today is titled, "I Am Not Perfect"! Mine has a bit of a different take but I guess great minds think alike! ;)

    ReplyDelete
  2. LauraApril 11, 2011 at 9:04 AM

    All of us "imperfect people" are on the same wave-length today! It's amazing how the Lord works on our hearts in different variations of the same theme! Have a fantastic day in the Lord, Lori.

    ReplyDelete

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