Anything being perfect is rare. Perhaps this yellow water-lily gets close? Emerging from the dark water and rising above the floating leaf-plates, a beautifully symmetrical arrangement of petals “cup” the precious centre of the flower. Perhaps it’s the contrast with the dark background- but the flowers seem to glow with intense colour whenever the sunlight touches them. Today was the perfect day to photograph the perfect water-lily.
Its perfection is only transitory. When pollination is complete, the lily will fade and die. If inclement weather interrupts “normal” process, the rain or hail will bruise and break it… wind can rough it up, excessive heat can parch the lily, and wildlife can wreak havoc in their search for life’s necessities. This is a dangerous world.
Perfect people are even rarer! Those who try living as perfectionists are usually difficult to live with. Failing to meet an impossible standard is hard for perfectionists to admit: and those who suffer through their attempt rarely enjoy the process!
Aiming high is good: learning to accept that the concept of “good enough” is valid is even better.
Being a follower of Jesus is challenging. We want to please God, we want to be the best Christian we can be, yet we live in an imperfect and battle-scarred world- and we fail the perfection test. And it doesn’t matter… Yes, I did say it doesn’t matter. Let me explain before you scream “Heretic!” at me.
Our destiny is clear- we spend eternity with Christ, and that starts now in this life. But however “lovely” we may be now, there will be damage, illness, and life just going wrong. But as many wise people have said, it isn’t the number of times we fall down that matters: it is how many times we get back up. We are offered the best support system: Jesus who understands our strengths and weaknesses, and the indwelling Presence of Holy Spirit. Whenever we turn Godwards, we are met by perfect Grace, offering forgiveness, wholeness, and renewed purpose. Just as wise parents do not condemn little kids for doing little kid stuff, God watches over our growth to maturity. As the apostle Paul put it, “when I was a child, I thought like a child (etc)… but when I became a man I put away childish things.” (1 Corinthians 13:11)
We are in the process- with God’s help and gift- of entering into the perfection that He has prepared for us. The opening of Genesis described the perfect beginning, explains the stumble into imperfection, and lays the route out for God rescuing us and reconciling all things through Christ. Being perfect is what we have to look forward too as the gift we receive – and should pray for every day.
"Be good to your servant,
that I may live and obey your word.
Open my eyes to see
the wonderful truths in your instructions.
I am only a foreigner in the land.
Don’t hide your commands from me!
I am always overwhelmed
with a desire for your regulations and guidance."
(Psalm 119:17-20)
