Perfection

Today, while talking with one of my best friends about how we are works-in-progress, I said "We aren't meant to be perfect. We are only meant to seriously work at being better each day." I was wrong.

In Matthew 5:48, Jesus says - "Be perfect, therefore, as your Heavenly Father is perfect."

So, we are meant to strive for perfection - God's perfection. How daunting! Yet, how exhilarating! It's a challenge, but I know I feel amazing when I know I have passed a test that takes me a step closer to His idea of perfection.

God's definitions of sin are so strict that He considers hatred to be murder (More on this later!). But, we have to be realistic. As human beings, we will mess up, make mistakes, and fall on our faces. Many times. As long as we are earnestly trying to do what God has told us to do, He will be there to catch us or to pick us up. If we are deliberately ignoring the rules He has set, He will let us fall, and fall hard. It's happened to me. I had to fall into a deep, dark hole for Him to reach me. He had to get me far away from my safety nets for me to reach for Him.

So, it's okay if you aren't perfect. Yet. It's okay if you mess up sometimes, as long as you are earnestly striving to do what God has said, as long as you are seriously following all of His rules, and trying to become that perfect you. But, we should never make the same mistakes twice. We have to learn from our mistakes so that we can get closer to God's idea of perfection.

We are works-in-progress!