Perfection is my end. Even to myself this can sound ludicrous and unrealistic. The reality of the human condition is that perfection should be unattainable. In fact, perfection has been deemed so unattainable by human standards that the word is thrown around to mean something along the lines of ‘just about perfect’, or as good as objectively possible. I have been okay with that definition of perfection for a long time simply because I believed that perfection was something that was unattainable. No one should strive for perfection because no one is perfect; whatever that means. And then, I read Philippians 1:6 - “And I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”
No matter how often Jesus needs to remind me of His perfection through His Spirit and His Word I truly do believe that Jesus embodies the Perfection of the living God; creator of the universe. Perfection does exist, in God, and perfection has been a part of the imperfect earth and will continue to be a part of it until the return of Jesus Christ. That is truth for me. With that I mind I must ask myself if I believe/understand that perfection in me is God’s end game? And, am I willing to submit to the life struggles that will inevitably ensue?
I can say with honesty that I am not ready to fully submit to God’s plan for perfection within me. Actually, I can’t even comprehend what that means. But then again, God is God and I am not supposed to comprehend what perfection in me is to look like. From my limited knowledge that I have I don’t think I will ever be fully submitted to God’s plan for perfection in my life simply because of the fallen nature of humanity, but what I do know is this, as stated by Paul in Philippians 1:6, God is determined to complete His perfect work in me for the day of Jesus Christ’s return and that can bring incredible peace which breeds trust and confidence in God and therefore drawing closer to God’s will for my life. My flesh brings forth unjustified fears about the future. Fears of failure, persecution, rejection, the list is plentiful but because of my belief in Jesus I can take comfort in knowing that God has a plan for me. However, C.S. Lewis writes “...you must realize from the outset that the goal to which He is beginning to guide you is absolute perfection; and no power in the whole universe, except yourself, can prevent Him from taking you to that goal.” (Mere Christianity, 161) Because of the free will given to creation by God it is up to you and I to commit to knowing God more and more and to come to trust in His plan for “To shrink back from that plan is not humility: it is laziness and cowardice. To submit to it is not conceit; it is obedience.” (Mere Christianity, 162)
I do things, on a daily basis, that veer away from God’s plan and do not bring joy. I am continually let down by my unbelief in God. I let myself down by not allowing myself to be made into who I was created to be. Lewis says that “The more we get what we now call ‘ourselves’ out of the way and let Him take us over, the more truly ourselves we become.”(Mere Christianity, 167) And, the closer towards perfection we move. That is my prayer for you and I because I believe that Jesus gave it all to offer me perfection in eternity.
Are you being obedient to your call to perfection by communing daily with the Lord or are you submitting to the calls of the devil and allowing your plan to take precedent over God’s? The earthly self that you know, the one that is deemed unique, by yourself and others is not the self you were created to be. Rather, it is the self that earth has convinced you to be. Pursue your own perfection by allowing God to work out His plan. It’s a better plan than you or I could ever come up with and that is one thing that I am comfortable promising to anyone.
Peace and Grace be to you
For His Kingdom.
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