Perfection

Bam!
Matthew 5:48 hits hard.

Part way through His very first sermon...delivered open-air style to masses of people...Jesus calls those who would follow Him to 'be perfect, as your Father in heaven is perfect.'

A tall order, don't you think? Particularly considering the teachings that sandwich this idea earlier in chapter 5 and then into chapters 6 & 7.

We're called to love our enemies and pray for them....challenged about how we look at others...told sin is extremely serious and we need to deal with it in radical ways....taught to give secretly....reminded not to worry....and not to judge.....all difficult things to do.

In fact the standard of God, being perfection, sets me up to fail. There is no way I can meet God's standard.

But God knew that and that's why I say 'Thank God for Jesus.'
It is His perfection that God sees when He looks at me.

So in God's eyes, once I have believed in Jesus as His Son and turned from my sin, I am perfect.

And in His strength I can have the best go at living the way that pleases God (loving my enemies, not worrying or judging, etc...) and creates for me 'my best life.'

Perfect? Not me!

I had a great chat with a friend recently....about her failings!

So refreshing to hear that I am not the only one who gets it wrong....often.

Like this week when I came home hot, bothered, frustrated, tired and sore from delivering the local paper. Sure the hills were steep...the pram was heavy...the mozzies were biting....the sweat pouring and the letter boxes MILES from the road! But did I really have to be so short tempered with my wonderful husband when I got home? And worse...a husband who was mowing and whipper snipping our lawn? Yuck Kirsty!

Or what about that night feed that hurt...a lot. Instead of praying about it, what did I open my mouth to do? Ummmm...sad to say....I swore. Yuck Kirsty!

Then there was the other incident in the car where I was bad mouthing the driver ahead of us. Someone I don't even know was copping a heap of judgement and criticism from me for what terrible deed?? Driving at 68km in an 80km zone of course. Yuck Kirsty!

So as I listened to this friend, I was pleased to hear she messes up too. But what I was even more delighted to hear was how she went about fixing the messes.

Without going into too much detail...because I want to preserve her annonimity....she mended the fences with her husband through a letter and a conversation with an apology. She was also 'woman' enough to apologise to the group of people she had whinged and complained around. And she asked God to forgive her too and help her do it better next time.


THAT'S the good stuff in life....and the tough stuff! It is realising when we have done the wrong thing and having the maturity and character to apologise. And the wisdom to realise God does not expect perfection from us...He knows we aren't capable of it....but oh how He delights in His kids seeking forgiveness and stepping out again in His power.