Perfect

   

    Happy new year everyone! I hope you all enjoyed the holiday season! I sure did! We had A LOT of gatherings at my house! I believe I speak for everyone when I say we enjoyed it all immensely! Now that all of that is over, my family is getting into wedding preparation mode! So much to do and so little time! Well, not so much to do, just so little time! We have only four days left! But that is not what I will be focusing on in this post! Today, I want to focus on what so many people do at the beginning of a new year. New year's resolutions. I quit making a list of resolutions last year, because I hate making promises or resolutions I'm not sure I can keep. So I started making a list of ambitions last year. Whatever we call them, we all have some things we hope to achieve in this new year! 

    

    We all strive for perfection, at least I hope we do! But What is perfect? Is it even possible? No, it's not. So why try, you ask? Well, to be perfect is an impossible thing if you are simply asking "Can I be perfect?" It is impossible to be perfect in an imperfect world, especially if you think about why it is imperfect! Mankind made it imperfect, how can we perfect ourselves? How can the unclean make the dirty clean?

"But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible."

    Now lets go to the dictionary and check it out. Today's dictionary will tell you that the word "perfect" means: "having all the required or desirable elements, qualities, or characteristics; as good as it is possible to be." But if you go back to the origin, the Latin word perfectus, when broken down it means, Do completely, or thorough. Now, I found this quite different from the modern dictionaries definition. Especially when you put it in a Bible context.

Matthew 5:48 "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect"

    If to be perfect means to be thorough, then these hopes we have to "perfect" ourselves this year, would mean being thorough in our resolutions and/or ambitions! To do them completely! Another definition I have heard for the word perfect is mature. I'd say it is a sign of maturity to be thorough and never leave things half way done! We are all guilty at one point or another of this, but lets resolve or make it an ambition to do better this year! Let's give it our all this year!
   
    We have our ambitions, resolutions, and goals for this year, but have we considered the good LORD's plan for us this year? I'm afraid we too often dwell on our own plans rather than searching for the will of our heavenly Father! How sad! Take a moment, if you will, to meditate on these things. Look at your lists of goals for the year of 2017 and ask the LORD if He has plans and goals He would like to add, or even take away. Are we willing? Willing to let the Lord be the Lord of our goals? Our lives? Are we ready to completely surrender our lives to follow the example Christ left for us? The perfect example of a perfect life?
   
    So to answer the question: Can we be perfect? No, not on our own. But, with God, yes, we can be perfect! How do I know this? Because I do not believe the Lord set unrealistic goals for us! We can see in His word he commands us to be perfect. It is encouraging to me that God has confidence that we can be perfect! That is enough to motivate me! The God of the universe believes that I, a sinner, can be free from sin! What? That just sounds too good to be true! But it is! Let's not let Him down! Let us lay our sin down at His feet and run the race of patience in the perfection of our LORD Jesus Christ! Let us answer the call into perfection!
  
    I simply felt I should give you this charge today. I do want to share something with you guys that I have found very "cool" in my opinion! Lately, my posts have been lining up with sermons or other things around me. For an example, I had started this post not sure if or when I would post it, and the following Sunday guess what my Sunday School teacher touched on? Perfection! He spoke about Examining ourselves and striving to be an "all in Christian" or a whole Christian. A mature or perfect Christian. You couldn't have slapped the grin off my face! I was touched that the Lord had heard my thoughts, and cared enough to answer through a message on Sunday! Nonetheless, I believe I needed the message without my silly blog! I'm grateful the Lord continually shares His heart with me, and allows me to share mine with Him! Though this may sound silly to you guys, for me, it was a small gesture from my sweet Lord for which I am continually grateful!


Simply,
    Sarah