“Be Perfect!” – Jesus. What! How?

Jesus, in Matthew 5:48, made the impossible request, here’s what He said; “Therefore, be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.”

Is it Possible to Be Perfect?

Being told to be perfect feels like a ridiculous request for anyone to make, especially God, since He’s the one who made us and knows our imperfections. The fact is though, His version of perfection is very different from ours. It’s not perfection without error, but rather, it’s harboring a mentality that desires to always strive for excellence, no matter the situation. Still sound too difficult? Let me break it down into two simple steps.

Step One

We strive for excellence when we are loving those who are difficult to love. Yes, it can seem impossible, trust me I know, especially if we are talking about politicians, or those who live a lifestyle that we completely disapprove of. However, if we are going to be “perfect”, there is no way around the love factor. For better clarification on what God’s idea of perfect love looks like, read the apostle John’s writings. Here’s an example of what you’ll find there…

“And now I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. If you have love for one another, then everyone will know that you are my disciples.”
‭‭John‬ ‭13‬:‭34‬-‭35‬ ‭GNT‬‬

Step 2

We must possess a passion for all that we do, and remember to be thankful in every situation, no matter the outcome. Paul, in Colossians 3:17, summed it up perfectly. Here’s what he said; “whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father”.

When Perfection Is Not Achieved

We all know that perfection without error is impossible. So when excellence is not achieved, which is often, we must display a heart of repentance, rather than one of justification. That looks like showing love to those we haven’t been good to, or have spoken poorly of. It may even require us to humble ourselves and apologize to someone. Or perhaps forgive the one whose offense seems unforgivable. Also, when we’ve made excuses as to why we haven’t been doing our best, or living a life without gratitude, we repent and do the right thing, rather than cling to our old justifications. I believe this is what Jesus was telling us perfection looks like, and not the impossible life that is completely free of disappointing actions.

All Who Are Weary

Have you ever wondered if those who are born into painful situations, or are currently in one, are more susceptible to God’s blessings?

There’s an interesting little prayer that’s tucked away in the opening chapters of 1 Chronicles that just may answer our question. This simple prayer was prayed by a man whose very name means “sorrow”. His name is, Jabez. Other than his name meaning sorrow, and that he was honorable, we really don’t know much about him. However, I want to share some of the little we do know because I believe the implications are profound.

“Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez, saying: “I gave birth to him in pain.” Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, saying: “Oh that You would bless me indeed and enlarge my territory! Let Your hand be with me, and keep me from the evil one.” And God granted his request.” 1 Chronicles 4:9-10

It’s interesting that there are only three facts given to us about Jabez. He was honorable, he was born into pain, and he prayed a simple prayer. Yet here we are, reading how the Lord granted his request. It doesn’t tell us what Jabez did that caused him to be found “honorable”, we only know that he was in pain, he cried out for God to bless him, and God granted his request. Amazing!

There’s a beautiful scripture in the book of Matthew that comes straight from the mouth of Jesus that sums up so well the story of Jabez;  

“Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” Matthew‬ ‭11‬:‭28‬-‭30‬ ‭NLT‬‬

What makes Jesus so willing to help the hurting with little to no effort on their part? And, are there any other examples of this behavior that we can find in the Bible? There was the woman with the issue of blood, she didn’t have to ask to be healed, she just touched the edge of his clothes and was instantly granted her healing.
Zacchaeus had inner turmoil, and without saying a word, was given the rare opportunity to have Jesus come to his house for dinner. After Zacchaeus promised to right his wrongs, Jesus calls him, “a true son of Abraham”.
The woman caught in adultery never asked Jesus for forgiveness, yet it was granted to her. The list goes on, and it makes sense that it does, because…

“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” Psalms 34:18

Is this you? Are you hurting? Do you feel forgotten? Does your spirit feel crushed within you? You are not alone, and you are definitely not forgotten. Jesus is as close as to you as just mentioning His name. Try it, say his name and call to him. Your healing may not be instant, but He will come just as soon as you ask, and He will start to heal your broken heart just as soon as you allow Him to. I promise you! Better yet, His Word promises you.

Wisdom vs. Conviction

Two people who are on my mind this morning is king David and his son Solomon. No two people in the Bible had more to say about wisdom than these guys. Funny thing is, king David made two extremely unwise decisions (Bathsheba and counting the people) and he paid dearly for them. Solomon made so many unwise decisions that they can’t even be counted or listed here. And as ironic as it is, Solomon is the one who was granted wisdom, above any other living person, from God himself.

What am I trying to say?

Wisdom alone will not carry us through, we also need Godly conviction. In fact, sometimes wisdom will plot and scheme to get its own selfish way, like we see with Solomon. I would say that the example of Solomon teaches us that it’s far better to have conviction than wisdom, but I would also say that conviction will always lead us to Godly wisdom.