Perfection

  We cannot be perfect in this life. We cannot be a perfect husband or a perfect wife. We cannot be a perfect parent or a perfect child. We cannot be a perfect employee or a perfect employer.  We cannot be perfect in our profession or in any position. We cannot create perfection. It doesn’t matter if we are creating something out of wood, metal, cloth, technology or even with the ingredients we might put into something we might eat. There is always something we miss, something just slightly askew, something we add, something we miss-calculate, something we push too hard at or something we neglect to correct perfectly. There are things we must change, something we may scar somewhat or something internal we not plan for. There is always some variable we did not see interfering as something is not needed, something forgotten as we are rushed or something is remembered when we are taking our time.   

     None of us can function in any of our creating, day to day living or work and or in any relationship; unless we realize the fruitlessness of thinking of perfection as attainable. This is not to say that we cannot be very good at something. Maybe it enough to put as much as we can in all that we do, try and complete. Maybe it is enough to desire to be very good. Maybe it is enough to have a loving passion for what we do and who we are. Maybe it is enough to pursue the development, commitment, the learning and adaptation to be the best we can be what we do, make or become. Maybe it is enough to strive to be very good at what we create and become better and better as we learn, do and strive for excellence at what we do. We can be very good as spouses, parents and friends by being loving, sensitive, caring and adaptable as we put all of our heart and dedication into those relationships.  Realizing we all have some distance to go in all we do, achieve and aspire for; allows us to adjust quickly through instinctual reactions that have been hewn by our experiences and knowledge or adapt and modify slowly through calculation and evaluation by assessing the goal of being better at what we do. An element of humility enters into all of this as we become self-aware of changes we need to make in ourselves to become a better person.

     There is a practical aspect of grace needed in any examination of the aspects of perfection.  All of us are in need of grace to make up for our sinful imperfections in order for each and every one of us to be saved (Ephesians 2:8). We cannot attain a life free from sin and so grace is needed, not only to save us but to remake us.  We need grace as well in every one of our relationships.  We need grace from others because we cannot be perfect and we need to give grace as we realize everyone else is just like we are.  Any expectations of perfection in others are thus softened in the mutual need for grace in all of us. Finally we need to give ourselves grace as we are humbled by our mistakes, inadequacies and even as our goals drift just out of reach despite all of our efforts. Grace applied to our daily living allows us to become more, as grace changes how we do things and the results of all we do. Grace is given life in its honesty and thus it empowers us to good.  

      We may never be perfect, but grace applied by anyone to anything allows the imperfect to be perfectly restored, redeemed, changed and remade. That might be the greatest perfection we may see as we live out, all of our days, given to us through the grace of our Heavenly Father.

“And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you”

(1 Peter 5:10, ESV).