Jesus said that we are supposed to be perfect. Yikes! That’s a tall bill. Who can do that? Do you know anyone who is perfect? No, I didn’t think so. Yet Jesus said we should be.
Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect. (Matthew 5:48)
The thing is, God’s definition of perfection is different from ours. We think we would be perfect if we never made a single mistake, never said the wrong thing, and every single project we attempted came out, well, perfectly. But we fail and fail and beat ourselves up because our humanity gets in the way.
And that’s where the definition of perfection diverges. What we believe and what God believes are two different things. See, He knows we’re human, believe it or not. He has no expectations that we will be “perfect” in everything we do. He’s not as interested in that kind of perfection as you may think. God is more interested in our heart.
In the scripture quoted above, Jesus was talking about loving our enemies. That’s not at all what we think of as living perfect lives, but it’s everything to God. His idea of being perfect is being changed by the Holy Spirit to become more and more like Him.
Can you suddenly start loving your enemies? Probably not. So how do you become perfect in the way God is asking you to? Seek first the kingdom of God. Everything you need in life, and everything God is asking of you is in Him. Discover the Lover of your soul. Delight yourself in Him. Be hungry to know Him more. Spend time in worship and praise. Be still and listen with your heart.
The more time you spend in His presence, the more you are changed by Him. As you are changed by Him, and become able to love your enemies, you become more and more perfect in your spirit. Your heart responses become like His. You begin to see glimpses of His ideas and ways that are clearly not yours. His perfection radiates through His love. This is not a sudden transformation that happens in our heart. We learn line upon line. We grow from glory to glory. That’s His plan. That’s He way. And don’t try to measure yourself to anyone. Your journey is personal and your lessons are for you alone. When you put yourself completely in His hands, perfection is happening. Thank Him for it.