Perfection

“Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48)

God requires us to be perfect, even as He is perfect. Since this is a requirement, we can pretty much give up all hopes and ideas about living with Him in heaven and prepare ourselves for a long burn in hell until we are burnt to a crisp and disappear from existence forever. Is this the hope of glory we have so diligently been looking forward to? (Colossians 1:27) This may not be the most appealing intro to this article, but it will all make sense.

The perfection God requires of us is way different than the word we have defined in our minds. Let us take a moment and consider our understanding of perfection in contrast to God’s definition of perfection. If we had a blank canvas and were to create the most beautiful painting ever, we would gather the most expensive and diverse oil paints and brushes on the market. We would plan ahead and gather all manner of scenic ideas and natural settings. We would then begin to create an artistic dream of beauty beyond any venture ever attempted. We would paint a heavenly scene with beautiful tall trees and grass of golden green with flowers of all kinds and amazing colors. We would paint majestic animals and beautiful birds flying overhead. The sun would be shining overhead and the scenery would be so peaceful and realistic that whoever looks at the painting would be drawn in and immersed by its inviting beauty. Our idea of a perfect world would surpass even our own imagination. Once we complete this amazing portrait of perfection, we would display it somewhere so the world can see it.

Now, let us consider God’s blank canvas and how He would portray perfection. He too has all the best oil paint colors and brushes and would look at the blank canvas as He begins His creative artistic work. Only, before He even begins with His first brush stroke, He calls it perfect. As He performs His artistic master creation on this canvas, perfection is constantly portrayed. This painting, however, does not reach a finished point. It continues to progress and it never ceases. God’s painting is constantly improving and the brush strokes never end.

To understand God’s perfection we must understand God’s mind. God’s perfection is progressive. Our perfection is static. We see perfection as a picture that never changes because it cannot improve any more than the best it already is. God sees perfection as a movie that never ends. When you think the movie cannot get any better, you realize it barely even got started.

God requires us to be perfect, just like He is perfect. How do we do that? We do that by always looking to Him, and always moving forward. Falling but always getting up. Failing but always succeeding. Always cleaning up after getting dirty. Healing after being injured. Forgiving when we are offended. Giving even when we have no more to give. Loving when all we see is hate. Perfection is not a goal we reach, it is our ability to grow amidst the worst of circumstances. Perfection never reaches its peak, it continues forever.

We are God’s canvas. We began with a dark dead planet devoid of life. We are getting stronger with time. Many will not survive. But a few will. Those who do survive will continue to grow. Never will there be a time when these survivors stop growing, learning, and improving. We will be like our Father in heaven, perfect like He is. His canvas will never stop changing because it will forever continue to improve and become evermore beautiful without ceasing.

So get used to the idea that from God’s perspective, you are already perfect as long as you keep a tight grasp of His hand and never let go.

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