BECOMING PERFECT

“You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48) This verse has scared off many of us a time or two thinking about the perfection idea. Vine’s Dictionary says the word perfect could be used “an end,” or translated “of full age” or as in “full grown man” and another source says, “mature” as the companion word for perfect. I have long used the term mature for perfect in this verse.

It is just too easy to associate imperfection while thinking of us, and perfection when thinking of the Father. But imperfection with its flaws and mistakes could rather be a forming, a pruning, a gathering of information, trials and dips and valleys along the way to becoming more mature. I’m OK around imperfect people, but perfect people make me really nervous and uncomfortable… especially perfect religious people.

I just want to feel like someone dumped Gatorade on my head from a big bucket… we’re making it… we’re winning. The Father thinks we are winners. This could be a new form of worship: The Gatorade Bath. Maybe he enjoys dumping that Gatorade on our heads. We are ‘sons and daughters of the Father.’

“Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven.” Jesus