Perfection
“Therefore be perfect just as your Father in heaven is perfect.” Matthew 6:48
So, have you ever looked at that verse and wondered, “How on earth do I do that?” When I’m feeling weak, there seems to be such a chasm between me, where I am, and Him, where He is. And in addition to that, this verse caps off the section of scripture where Jesus tells His disciples to love their enemies. When I’m tempted to think the perfection He is looking for is avoiding bad behavior, He draws my attention to that perfection being a matter of the heart, even loving my enemies. That is an even bigger challenge!
I was in my monthly writing group when David Takle, my friend from North Carolina, described a simple picture he had gotten that brought this verse to his mind. His picture caused me to see it in a brand new light.
He had begun with pondering 2 Corinthians 12 “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” He got a picture of two puzzle pieces—one very large one and one very small one. The large piece was God’s power and the small one was my friend’s weakness. These two puzzle pieces were a perfect match for one another—they were made to fit together. That picture also evokes another meaning of the word perfect when it is used in scripture: complete.
Jesus makes clear in John 5:19 that He cannot do anything by Himself. And further in John 15:5, Jesus says, “Apart from Me you can do nothing.” That being perfect, which Jesus exhorts His disciples toward in our beginning quote, only makes sense in the context of connection with the Father and Jesus. His power is made perfect in our weakness. I, on the other hand, can tend to think that weakness is something I have to fight or struggle with on my own.
I love that picture of the puzzle pieces—my weakness fitting perfectly with His strength. When I’m tempted to try and fight with my weakness, it is better for me to turn to my Father and ask Him what power He has that matches it. What weakness have you been struggling with? I’ll bet God’s got a perfect large puzzle piece of power to match your small puzzle piece of weakness. Try asking Him to connect whatever weakness you are dealing with to His power, and watch Him make that picture perfect.