ARE YOU PERFECT?
When you read this question how did you answer it? Did you immediately admit to yourself that you are not perfect? If someone would have asked me this question I would have immediately said, “no way!”
But in Philippians Chapter 3, Paul gives us a different way to think about perfection.
“I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead.”
Paul uses the word “perfection” to mean mature or complete; not flawless in all aspects of life. Maturity develops by living out the words that God has already taught you. So often we say things like, “I still have so much to learn.” Yes that’s true! But some people use this as a way NOT to do anything. God wants us to live out what we have already learned. And of course we will make mistakes. But don’t wait until you think you have learned everything!
What does completeness mean? It means you ask and rely on the Holy Spirit’s power to reveal areas in your life that are not up to par with the word of God. When you let God transform your way of thinking and your way of life; this makes you perfect. We will always be a work in progress; living out what we have learned and relying on God to show us what we don’t know yet.
So don’t waste time dwelling on the past. Focus on what you’ve learned so far in your faith journey and live it out through the power of the Holy Spirit. Keep seeking knowledge – commit to keep learning – keep reading your Bible & meditating on God’s words. It’s the best continuing education program you could ever invest in!
Have a fantastic Thursday!
Love, Heather & Lisa
