Yep, you read that right. That's my objective. I don't want to just "grow." I don't want to be "better than before." I want to attain absolute moral perfection. The sacrifice of Jesus deserves nothing less than that from me.
"Yeah, sure Dan. You let us know if that works out."
I intend to. Although when this all works out I may be far too humble to ever mention it again, so I'm getting the word out now. Perfection is my official aim.
Why is it awkward for me to speak of perfection in this way?
What's wrong with perfection, anyway? Can't a guy give it a sporting chance?
My hunch is that since "perfection" has been ruled out as a viable possibility in most people's minds, anyone caught attempting it is considered unsophisticated, largely uninformed, and even a little arrogant. Suggestions that perfection (even for a day) is a possibility are either smirked at or labeled as "doctrinally unsound."
If you were a runner at the Olympics, and you told people that you were running to win a gold medal, you would be applauded for your courage, determination, and vision. If you backed up that goal with years of training, you would be hailed as an example of discipline, hard work, and endurance.
What's wrong with having the same goal as a Christian? Should we not "run in such a way as to get the prize?"
Jesus himself told us to, "Be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect." (Matthew 5:48)
Like the Olympics, obeying this command of Jesus isn't something that you or I can achieve overnight. So, how do you begin the process?
1. Love God with all your heart. Decide today to make God your first and most important relationship. Spend time with Him, listen to Him, obey His Words -- treat Him the same way you treat the people you love.
2. Love other people. Jesus said that love is like a "summary" to the law of God. The "Cliff's Notes" of living a perfect life can be found in Matthew 5-7.
Instead of shying away from perfection, live for it, strive for it, pursue it with all your heart through the power of the Holy Spirit. And don't be surprised if He who began a good work it you really does carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus (Phil. 1:6).
To Read: 1 Corinthians 9:24-27
Challenge: Who do you need to love? Love is in fact the essence of perfection, and if you can learn to show love to that person, you'll be that much closer to fulfilling God's perfect purpose for your life.
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