Imperfectly Perfect

I recently found myself in a place which prided itself on its perfection. I was greeted promptly by a smiling and helpful receptionist; I was offered free tea or coffee in a pristine white cup from a friendly waitress whilst I reclined in a comfortable brown leather sofa.

Everything seemed perfect.

Except for me.

And I felt completely out of place. I felt as though my presence undid the work of 'perfection' that these people had strived so hard to achieve.  I felt uncomfortable and inconspicuous.  Because human perfection is always contrived and artificial.  It is a carefully crafted artefact, or a performance which we admire from a distance.  It doesn't invite us in, it distances us.  It doesn't affirm us, it criticises us.

It is something which intimidates us.

And it is something with which I have struggled for most of my life. 

I thought that I had to be perfect in order for people to like me - do the right thing, say the right thing, be the right thing.  There was no room for error.  And so I panicked when I made a mistake or 'failed'.

My least favourite Bible verse for a long time was Jesus' words to His followers -

"Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect."

[Matthew 5:48 NIV]

I struggled enough with being perfect in human eyes, let alone in God's eyes. 

But when Jesus talks about being perfect, He doesn't mean for us to be perfect in a human way.  It doesn't mean being on your best behaviour and never putting a foot wrong.   It means to be perfected - to be made complete, with nothing lacking or missing - in the same way that God is complete.  It denotes wholeness and a sense of peace as our striving comes to an end. 

True perfection is not something that we can achieve if we just try harder;  it's not something that can be artificially manufactured; it isn't a show that we put on.  It is something that comes from within and can only be realised when we understand our identity in Christ.

God's perfection, in contrast to human perfection, is embracing, inviting, forgiving, reassuring, affirming and enabling.  It meets us and accepts us where we are; it welcomes us in.  It isn't ashamed of our imperfections, neither does it deny them.  It acknowledges our weaknesses and lovingly completes us.

"Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect."

[Matthew 5:48 NIV]

Be perfected, made whole, complete, peaceful, assured, in the same way that your Heavenly Father is. 

I am not perfect.  But in Him I am.

Imperfectly perfect.