The beloved are nots

The beloved are nots

God blesses those who are poor in spirit and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. – Matthew 5:3

1 Corinthians 1:26-28

 26 Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world’s eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you.

 27 Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful.

 28 God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, the things that are not, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important.

What values were the motivating force of the culture of the Greco-Roman world? It was a time and place defined by the level of status and honor one possessed (MacMullen). “Rome was a highly stratified and therefore an immensely self-conscious society characterized by complex systems for defining, signifying, and acknowledging status” (Beacham). Money (Pecunia) and Status (Philotimia) were worshiped as goddesses (Barclay).

Celsus was a second-century Greek philosopher and antagonist of early Christianity. He wrote one of the most scathing attacks on Christianity of that time. He asserted that the Christian outlook was: “Let no cultured person draw near, none wise, none sensible; for all that kind of thing we count evil; but if any man is ignorant if any is wanting in sense and culture if any is a fool let him come boldly.” He claimed that the Christians were “‘like a swarm of bats – or ants creeping out of their nests – or frogs holding a symposium around a swamp – or worms in gathering in a corner of mud” (Barclay).

What made Christianity so attractive to those who would become children of the King? It “introduced them into a society committed to looking at them primarily as people, all equally valuable and valued. It gave them a space in which they could flourish in freedom.” The cross “embodied the paradox they lived” and “made sense of the ambiguity of their lives” (Murphy-O’Connor).

This gracious acceptance is what made Christianity remarkable and attractive. The Roman Empire had over 60,000,000 slaves. “In the eyes of the law, a slave was a ‘living tool’, a thing and not a person at all . . .. Christianity made people who were things into real men and women; more, into sons and daughters of God. It gave self-respect to those who had no respect; it gave life eternal to those who had no life; it told them that, even if they did not matter to others, they still mattered intensely to God. It told people who were worthless in the eyes of the world that, in the eyes of God, they were worth the death of his only Son. Christianity was, and still is, the most uplifting thing in the whole universe” (Barclay).

The Father chose the are nots to confound those that are. To Him, they were beloved!

1 Corinthians 1:28 God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, the things that are not, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important.

REFLECT & PRAY

Children of the King are the beloved are nots ofthe eternal, omnipotent Father God.

Father thank You for loving me just as I am, sinful and foolish. There is nothing I could ever do to earn Your acceptance and love. Thank You for graciously bestowing upon me.

INSIGHT

Who are the children of the King? They are typically not those whom the world considers of high esteem. They are not wise in the world’s eyes or powerful or wealthy (1 Corinthians 1:26). Rather, with a few exceptions (Moses, Joseph, Daniel, Esther, Paul, etc.) they are the antithesis of what the world would choose. They are just regular folks. But they are the Father’s folks. What the world does not choose, the Father has chosen. He has chosen to make them His own and they are beloved.

Pause and consider that for a moment. That is exactly what Paul asked us to do to consider or think about our calling (1 Corinthians 1:26)

Why did the Father choose us?

The Greek verb translated as chosen is eklegomai. Eklegomai has the sense of selecting for one’s own reasons or purposes from a number of alternatives. To get a bit technical, this Greek verb is in the middle voice of Greek. The middle voice is used to express self-involvement or self-interest. Thus it connotes that the Father had a stake, a personal interest in the choices which He made. He chose the children of the King to be His because He wanted to. The Father wanted us. We are attractive and desirable to Him. We are His beloved.

What a glorious, gracious method of selection. There is no competition to make the cut. The Father has chosen those whom He has chosen. This reality is reiterated three times by Paul for emphasis in 1 Corinthians 1:27-28. He has chosen “from the midst of the world . . . those individuals whom no one judged worthy of attention and made them the bearers of His kingdom” (Garland).

The need for love and acceptance is a universal desire of the human race. Abraham Maslow conceived a hierarchy of human need in 1943. It has become a motivational theory in psychology. According to Maslow, the need for love and belonging is of foundational importance to the human race. Every child of the King is unconditionally loved and accepted for time and eternity.

According to the world, the children of the King are foolish. The Greek word translated as foolish is moros. Moros connotes dull, stupid, or foolishness. The English word moron comes from this word. Those who are morons in the eyes of the world are greatly loved by the Father. What matters most, the opinions of fallen humankind or the assessment and choice of the Father, the living God?

Paul compares the children of the King who are considered to be foolish, weak, and powerless, to the seeming weakness and powerlessness of the cross. The work of the cross and the death of Christ to redeem a lost world, is the greatest work ever wrought by the mighty arm of the Father, the omnipotent God.

Isaiah 52:10 The LORD has bared His holy arm . . .. that all the ends of the earth may see the salvation of our God.

“God chose the foolish because the wise thought the cross was sheer folly as a means for saving the world, the weak because the strong thought they were powerful enough without God, and the low and despised because the high and mighty did not care to debase themselves by attaching themselves to a crucified God” (Garland).

“God purposely chose the things that humans consider foolish in order to shame so-called wise people, and he chose the things that humans consider weak to shame powerful people” (UBS). “… for he (God) wanted to reduce to nothing those who are something before men” (GeCL).“He (God) decided to cause people whom humans consider important to have no importance at all” (UBS).

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© Dr. H 2022

Provisions for the unexpected

Provisions for the unexpected

So I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayers and the provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ. – Philippians 1:19

Genesis 22:6-14

 6 So Abraham placed the wood for the burnt offering on Isaac’s shoulders, while he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them walked on together,

 7 Isaac turned to Abraham and said, “Father?” “Yes, my son?” Abraham replied. “We have the fire and the wood,” the boy said, “but where is the sheep for the burnt offering?”

 8 “God will provide a sheep for the burnt offering, my son,” Abraham answered. And they both walked on together.

 9 When they arrived at the place where God had told him to go, Abraham built an altar and arranged the wood on it. Then he tied his son, Isaac, and laid him on the altar on top of the wood.

 10 And Abraham picked up the knife to kill his son as a sacrifice.

 11 At that moment the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!” “Yes,” Abraham replied. “Here I am!”

 12 “Don’t lay a hand on the boy!” the angel said. “Do not hurt him in any way, for now I know that you truly fear God. You have not withheld from me even your son, your only son.”

 13 Then Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught by its horns in a thicket. So he took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering in place of his son.

 14 Abraham named the place Yahweh-Yireh (which means “The LORD will provide”). To this day, people still use that name as a proverb: “On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided.”

On planet Earth, unexpected losses and calamities occur. On June 24, 2021, Champlain Towers South, a 12-story beachfront condominium in the Miami suburb of Surfside, Florida, partially collapsed. The pancake collapse destroyed 55 of the 136 units in the building.

The building had been sinking since the 1990s at a significant rate of about two millimeters (0.079 in) per year. In 2018, an inspection showed a “major error” in the construction of the pool deck, whereby the waterproofing was not sloped. Consequently, water collected there until it could evaporate. Over the years, the concrete slabs below the pool deck became severely damaged by the collected water. The report noted the waterproofing below the pool deck was beyond its useful life and must all be completely removed and replaced. The firm wrote that “failure to replace waterproofing in the near future will cause the extent of the concrete deterioration to expand exponentially.”

How can such eventualities be prepared for? How can people in need be helped? In the business world, particularly banking, to cover future potential adversities, “provisions” must be set aside.

What are provisions?

Provisions represent funds put aside by a company to cover unanticipated losses in the future. In other words, a provision is a liability of uncertain timing and amount. Income tax liabilities, warranties, loan defaults, asset devaluation, future litigation fees, etc., are typical provisions. To account for these risks, companies must make provision to ensure they have enough money set apart to cover them.

The Scriptures are clear that the Father is all-powerful and loves each child of the King. He has made ample provision and promised to take care of our needs. But exactly how does that work?

Abraham walked with the Father for some time. He learned much from previous experiences. But what he was asked to believe in Genesis 17 was, humanly speaking, impossible. He was past the age of being able to have a child. The same was true of his wife.

Genesis 17:17 He laughed to himself in disbelief. “How could I become a father at the age of 100?” he thought. “And how can Sarah have a baby when she is ninety years old?”

Genesis 18:12 Sarah laughed silently to herself and said, “How could a worn-out woman like me enjoy such pleasure, especially when my master – my husband – is also so old?”

Human limitations do not present an insurmountable obstacle to the Father. He did the impossible and overcame their human inadequacies. They were once again able to have children. And miracle of miracles, Isaac was born.

The Bible is replete with stories of the Father doing the impossible. Contemplate for a moment, why does He do this? The simple answer is to demonstrate that He is real and that He is actively involved in our lives.

It is incumbent upon each child of the King to learn to exercise faith and trust in His promises and provision. The assignments and tasks He gives us are intended to grow our faith and trust in Him. As we depend upon Him and follow His guidance, we find ourselves in the right place, at the right time, with the right attitude. The Father does the rest.

“At the age of 75, Abraham enrolled in the ‘School of Faith.’ Now he was over 100, and he was still having soul-stretching experiences. We are never too old to face new challenges, fight new battles, and learn new truths. When we stop learning, we stop growing; and when we stop growing, we stop living” (Wiersbe).

REFLECT & PRAY

“Life is difficult. Once we truly know that life is difficult – once we truly understand and accept it – then life is no longer difficult” (M. Scott Peck).

Father, I struggle to trust You. It is so easy to take matters into my own hands. Encourage me to remember that You have made provision for my needs and that You fulfill Your promises. I have re-enrolled in the School of Faith.

INSIGHT

In Genesis 22, Abraham is prepared to fully believe the Father’s promises no matter what. He has grown to maturity. He is walking by faith and will now demonstrate how real his faith is. This chapter is one of the rare and remarkable times when the Father enters the time-space continuum. He makes Himself visible to Abraham and interacts with him. Further, the Father sends His angel to prevent a horrendous tragedy.

The lesson of Genesis 22 is straightforward. The Lord will provide!

Genesis 22:8 “God will provide Himself a lamb for a burnt offering”

Genesis 22:14 Abraham named the place Yahweh-Yireh (which means “the LORD will provide”).

Yahweh-Yireh literally means “The Lord will see to it,” that is, “The Lord will provide” (Wiersbe).

In modern English, we have an analogous expression. When we make a promise, we simply say, “I’ll take care of it.” Regarding His provision, the Father says, “I’ll take care of it.” to each child of the King. How amazing! He’s got our back.

“In times of testing, it is easy to think only about our needs and our burdens; instead, we should be focusing on bringing glory to Jesus Christ. We find ourselves asking ‘How can I get out of this?’ Instead of ‘What can I get out of this that will honor the Lord?’ We sometimes waste our sufferings by neglecting or ignoring opportunities to reveal Jesus Christ to others who are watching us go through the furnace” (Wiersbe).

“The Lord will provide – always. He may surprise us, He may perplex us, He may make us wait. But He will always provide exactly what we need, when we need it” (Stanley).

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© Dr. H 2022

Who are the grasshoppers?

Who are the grasshoppers?

Then the whole community began weeping aloud, and they cried all night. – Numbers 14:1

Numbers 13:2-33

 2 Send out men to explore the land of Canaan, the land I am giving to the Israelites. Send one leader from each of the twelve tribes.

 25 After exploring the land for forty days, the men returned

 27 This was their report to Moses: “We entered the land you sent us to explore, and it is indeed a bountiful country – a land flowing with milk and honey. Here is the kind of fruit it produces.”

 28 “But the people living there are powerful, and their towns are large and fortified.”

 30 But Caleb tried to quiet the people as they stood before Moses. “Let’s go at once to take the land,” he said. “We can certainly conquer it!”

 31 But the other men who had explored the land with him disagreed. “We can’t go up against them! They are stronger than we are!”

 32 So they spread this bad report about the land among the Israelites: “The land we traveled through and explored will devour anyone who goes to live there. All the people we saw were huge.”

 33 “We even saw giants there, the descendants of Anak. Next to them, we felt like grasshoppers, and that’s what they thought, too!”

Webster defines a committee as “A body of persons delegated to consider, investigate, take action on, or report on some matter.” Others have less stellar definitions and comments regarding committees.

“A committee is a group of the unprepared, appointed by the unwilling to do the unnecessary” (Fred Allen).

“A committee is a group of people who individually can do nothing and collectively decide nothing can be done” (Wiersbe).

“A committee is a group that keeps minutes and loses hours” (Milton Berle).

“If you want to kill any idea in the world, get a committee working on it” (Charles Kettering).

“The best committee is made up of 3 people, 2 of whom are dead” (Jess Moody).

“If Columbus had an advisory committee, he would probably still be at the dock” (Arthur Goldberg).

“A camel is a horse designed by committee” (Alec Issigonis).

“Football combines the two worst things about America: it is violence punctuated by committee meetings” (George Will).

The Father told Moses to form a committee of 12 men to investigate the Promised Land and determine its viability. They changed their mission from the investigation of the land to an investigation of the armies and fortifications of Canaan. This was a tragic mistake (Numbers 13:1).

Of the 12 spies, all but 2, Joshua and Caleb, focused on the seemingly overwhelming obstacles they would face when they entered the land of promise. They failed to recognize and believe in the Father’s promise that he had already given them the promised land. By faith, they merely had to take possession of what he had already given them. Instead, they became discouraged.

“Their discouragement quickly spread throughout the camp. Doubt had turned into unbelief, and unbelief is rebellion against God (Numbers 14:9; Hebrews 3:16-19)” (Wiersbe).

They cried out in unbelief, “we are not able” (Numbers 13:31). “Because these ten men were walking by sight, they didn’t really believe God’s promises. They looked at the people of the land and saw giants; they looked at the Canaanite cities and saw high walls and locked gates, and they looked at themselves and saw grasshoppers” (Wiersbe).

Numbers 13:33 We felt like grasshoppers.

Indeed, there were grasshoppers in the land. However, by the Father’s reckoning, it was not the children of Israel who were the grasshoppers. It was the Canaanites.

Isaiah 40:22 God sits above the circle of the earth. The people below seem like grasshoppers to him!

REFLECT & PRAY

“We are continually faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly disguised as insoluble problems” (John Gardner).

Father help me to see things as You see things. All the machinations of the human race are nothing but a source of laughter and amusement to the Lord God Almighty (Psalms 2:7).

INSIGHT

There were, however, Joshua and Caleb, two men of faith, among the 12 spies. In contrast to the evil report of the 10 faithless spies, they offered a good report, a minority report. How was their report received? At the very least, it was highly unpopular.

Numbers 14:6-10

 6 Two of the men who had explored the land, Joshua, son of Nun, and Caleb, son of Jephunneh, tore their clothing.

 7 They said to all the people of Israel, “The land we traveled through and explored is a wonderful land!

 8 And if the LORD is pleased with us, he will bring us safely into that land and give it to us. It is a rich land flowing with milk and honey.

 9 Do not rebel against the LORD, and don’t be afraid of the people of the land. They are only helpless prey to us! Their protection has been removed from them, and the LORD is with us; do not fear them.”

 10 But the whole community began to talk about stoning Joshua and Caleb.

Joshua and Caleb were like NFL quarterbacks after losing a game. They immediately went from the penthouse to the outhouse. The disheartened children of Israel wanted to kill them. But the Father had another plan and stopped them dead in their tracks. From the Father’s point of view, they were not rejecting Joshua and Caleb; they were in open rebellion against Him.

Numbers 14:10-11

 10 Then, the glorious presence of the LORD appeared to all the Israelites at the Tabernacle.

 11 And the LORD said to Moses, “How long will these people treat me with contempt? Will they never believe me, even after all the miraculous signs I have done among them?

The Father had had enough of their faithless criticism and defiance. He told Moses that he was prepared to destroy them on the spot. He would respond with a do-over. He would replace them with the descendants of Moses (Numbers 14:12). Graciously but firmly, Moses interceded on behalf of the children of Israel.

Numbers 14:19 In keeping with your magnificent, unfailing love, please pardon the sins of this people, just as you have forgiven them ever since they left Egypt.”

The Father granted Moses’ request. Because of their defiant rebellion, they would never enter the land of promise. They would not even be allowed to see it. Their fate was now sealed once and for all. The Father’s words were direct, blunt, and chilling.

Numbers 14:28-30

 28 Now tell them this: ‘As surely as I live, declares the LORD, I will do to you the very things I heard you say.

 29 You will all drop dead in this wilderness! Because you complained against me, every one of you who is twenty years old or older and was included in the registration will die.

 30 You will not enter and occupy the land I swore to give you. The only exceptions will be Caleb, son of Jephunneh, and Joshua, son of Nun.

Malachi 1:6 The LORD of Heaven’s Armies says to the priests: “A son honors his father, and a servant respects his master. If I am your father and master, where are the honor and respect I deserve? You have shown contempt for my name!

It is a harrowing thing to disrespect the living God!

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© Dr. H 2022

After His own heart

After His own heart

The LORD has sought out a man after his own heart. – 1 Samuel 13:14

2 Chronicles 16:9 The eyes of the LORD search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose heart is completely His.

Businesses are well aware of what it takes to recruit the best possible candidates for their job openings. The overriding critical factor in recruiting is finding people who will succeed and stick around. Finding individuals that are the best fit is paramount.

Companies are on the lookout for individuals who are most likely to produce the best results in a given position. Behind the scenes, this requires careful and strategic planning. Bad hires are costly and create all kinds of collateral damage. It is essential to find people that have not only abilities to optimize performance but also those that share the company’s values and objectives.

The Father is in the Redemption Business. His purpose is to make Himself known. He provides essential Truth so that all people might make the best possible decisions and follow Him. The Father never looks at resumes. If not resumes, what does He look at? He looks at hearts! He disregards outward appearance entirely. He knows the heart of each person.

Psalms 44:21 [God] knows the secrets of every heart.

When He makes a selection, no interviews are required. He never consults with current team members to obtain their opinions or preferences. When He has to let someone go and replace them, He does so at His own discretion.

Acts 13:22 God removed Saul and replaced him with David, a man about whom God said, “I have found David, son of Jesse, a man after my own heart. He will do everything I want him to do.”

The Father had already identified Saul’s replacement, a man after His own heart. “This phrase does not refer merely to David’s piety or private and personal character virtues. Instead, it refers to David’s commitment and service to the Father. David was zealous to serve the Father. Saul was a trainwreck of a King. He had failed to obey the Father’s instructions and commands (James E. Smith).

REFLECT & PRAY

The Father has a special place in His heart for those that are entirely His. It is of greater importance for a child of the King to have a special place in God’s heart rather than merely that the Father has a special place in their heart.

Father how I long to be a man after Your heart. Oh Father, I want to have a special place in Your heart even more.

INSIGHT

What does the Father desire most from the children of the King? The Father looks for those who put His interests before their own.

What are the characteristics of a person after the Father’s own heart? The answer unfolds in the Scriptures. Such individuals are blameless, innocent, faithful, pure, humble, courageous, and fearless. They are characterized by integrity and spirituality. They are all in and willing to do everything the Father desires. Consider David’s self-description.

2 Samuel 22:24-29

 24 I am blameless before God; I have kept myself from sin.

 25 The LORD rewarded me for doing right. He has seen my innocence.

 26 “To the faithful, you show yourself faithful; to those with integrity you show integrity.

 27 To the pure you show yourself pure, but to the wicked, you show yourself hostile.

 28 You rescue the humble, but your eyes watch the proud and humiliate them.

 29 O LORD, you are my lamp. The LORD lights up my darkness.

The Father seeks those after his own heart (1 Samuel 13:14).This thought may be expressed as “a person whose desire is to serve the LORD” or “the kind of man he wants” (UBS). But there’s a problem with human hearts, and the Father alone can see through the facades that people hide their hearts behind.

Jeremiah 17:9-10

 9 The human heart is the most deceitful of all things and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?

 10 But I, the LORD, search all hearts and examine secret motives.

Thus the Father instructed Samuel on what to do as he sought the next king of Israel.

1 Samuel 16:7 But the LORD said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The LORD doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”

2 Chronicles 16:9 The eyes of the LORD search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.

How can any child of the King draw close to the Father and become a person whose heart is fully His? David shows us the way.

“David has a heart attuned to Yahweh’s will and purposes” (Walton). Any of us can do the same if we so desire. As we observe and ponder David’s qualifications, any of us can choose to be like him.

Seek to be blameless, innocent, faithful, pure, humble, courageous, and fearless. Determine that your life will be characterized by integrity and spirituality. And most of all, devote yourself to being willing to do everything the Father asks of you.

Seek to avoid being like Saul in his disobedience. When he was confronted, he was full of excuses and seemingly had several valid reasons. “Brushing aside Saul’s excuses, Samuel condemned the king’s actions as those of a fool. No line of reasoning, however compelling, could ever justify disobedience to the Lord. Saul had disobeyed the Lord’s “command” (1 Samuel 13:13) and had to suffer the penalties” (Robert D. Bergen).

However, there is an unexpected twist regarding “God’s own heart.” This is a two-sided coin.

1 Samuel 16:7 The LORD said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The LORD doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”

A more literal translation of the last sentence is: “For the LORD sees not as man sees, for man sees according to the eyes, but the LORD sees according to the heart.”

“God is not limited, as humans are, in his point of view. He is not deceived by outward appearances. He sees a person’s heart. . .. That is, when God sees, he does not just see things with the eyes, as we do, taking in only impressions. God sees according to his heart. That is, God’s point of view is determined by his own will and purpose. He sees according to his own intentions, his heart” (Woodhouse).

“The expression ‘a man after [God’s] own heart’ has entered Christian jargon, usually as a statement about the qualities of the person. In 1 Samuel 13:13, however, the expression is literally, ‘The LORD has sought for Himself a man according to his own heart’ . . .. This is about the place this man had in God’s heart rather than about the place God had in the man’s heart. It was a way of saying that God had chosen this man according to his own will and purpose” (Woodhouse).

Indeed, the Father had a special place in David’s heart. However, of greater importance, David had a special place in the Father’s heart.

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© Dr. H 2022

Imperfection ∙

Imperfection ∙

Therefore, you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. – Matthew 5:48

James 1:2-4

 2 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,

 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.

 4 And let endurance have its perfect result so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

Webster defines perfection as the state of being perfect, being entirely without fault or defect, corresponding to an ideal standard or abstract concept, lacking in no essential detail.

The term imperfection is the state of being faulty or incomplete. It is the opposite of perfection, not perfect, faulty, or incomplete. It is flawed, defective, inferior, or substandard.

Imperfection is found almost everywhere we look. What in our world is without fault, flawless, or blameless? Even the noblest among us have a tiny bit of tarnish somewhere. But what about perfection? Where can it be found? Many things that we think or hope might be perfect are proven not to be in the end. Even the magnificent statue of David by Michelangelo was sculpted from flawed marble.

Search as we might, there is only One who claims to be perfect and is affirmed to be just that, the Father God!

Matthew 5:48 Therefore, you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

The Greek term translated as perfect is teleios. It comes from the Greek word telos, goal, purpose, and end. The Greek term teleios can be used in an absolute sense. The Heavenly Father’s perfection is absolute. He has no faults, weaknesses, or shortcomings. He is not flawed or defective in any way.

The Father’s perfection never changes. He has always been and will always be perfect, absolutely perfect. People can only be relatively perfect, hence mature.

In Matthew 5, the Lord Jesus Christ sets the bar for each of us. We are to strive to be perfect in our righteousness and moral integrity. We know, of course, we can never be perfect as the Father is. But that is our goal: to strive after perfection, which presents a bit of a conundrum. But it is easily resolved. Of course, the Father knows that we are fallen creatures and will never be perfect in our righteousness. He accepts us the way we are. But He still sets high standards. Paul explains.

Philippians 3:12 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.

Paul was all in and totally devoted to the pursuit of the perfection to be found in Christ. He truly wanted to be perfect. Like Paul, many of us are determined to be the best and do our best. Rather than becoming discouraged with our inability to achieve perfection, we can accept it as a process of growing to maturity. Over time we will become more and more like the Lord Jesus Christ, knowing that we, as fallen creatures, will never make it in this life.

James 1:4 When your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.

The Greek term teleios has a relative sense and can be translated as mature, finished, or complete. It does not mean without flaw or error but indicates maturity and completeness. It implies a process.

Being perfect, in this sense, is not the opposite of being imperfect. Instead, being perfect is the opposite of being incomplete.

James offers a sneak peek for each child of the King regarding how we become everything the Father desires for us. He gives us a glimpse of how we become equipped for His tasks for us.

The Greek word translated as complete is holokleros, needing nothing, entire, complete in every part. It underscores the incremental character of the process. When the process is complete, we are fully formed and lacking in nothing. The Greek term translated as lacking is leipo. It means to fail, lack, be wanting, be deficient. When we are mature and complete, we have everything we need.

Picture a caterpillar being transformed into a butterfly in its cocoon. It only emerges when all the parts are fully formed.

REFLECT & PRAY

When the Father sees human imperfection, He offers love, forgiveness, and redemption.

Father I long to be mature, complete, and lacking in nothing. Please make it so.

INSIGHT

Perfectionism is a dangerous thing. A tried and true way of breaking the cycle of perfectionism is to take on a task that can never be done perfectly. One such task is parenting. Perhaps moms more than dads are very much aware that not only are their children imperfect, but their children’s friends are even more imperfect. They both tend to leave a trail of sorts wherever they go within a home. Many moms take on the responsibility of cleaning up their mess. And time and time again, just as everything is back in order, the children return.

There are perils associated with perfectionism. Striving for an unattainable goal is difficult for anyone, but it is particularly frustrating for people inclined to be perfectionistic.

It is one thing to strive to be perfect and righteous. It is quite different from being obsessed with perfection itself. The perfectionist continually strives to perfect and clean up their environment and the people in their lives. Even minor variances, minor mistakes, and “imperfections” can be very unsettling.

The Father is not constantly “on the backs” of people who are less than perfect. If He were, we would have little time left for anything else. He gives us a great deal of “space” and is patient with us, allowing us to correct our own mistakes before He steps in (Constable).

Is there a proper kind of obsession involving perfection for the children of the King? Yes. We should be focused on the perfection of the Lord Jesus Christ and fix our eyes on Him.

Hebrews 12:1-4

 1 Let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.

 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. He endured the cross because of the joy awaiting him, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.

 3 Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then, you won’t become weary and give up.

 4 After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin.

Peace and contentment are not realized when everything is perfect because perfection will never happen on this side of heaven. Instead, peace and contentment flow when we decide to look beyond imperfections.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 11-10-2

© Dr. H 2022