The Pursuit of Perfection

Everyone is striving for some kind of perfect - the perfect hair, the perfect husband, the perfect outfit, the perfect home, the perfect kids, the perfect life.

Guess what - your definition of perfect may be different than God's definition of perfect.

If we take a look at just a few of the Scriptures that talk about God's kind of perfection, we'll see that a change of heart might be in order.

This is one of my favorites:

 I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. O when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart. Psalm 101:2

Perfect doesn't mean that you will never do wrong or have a bad day. Perfect in God's language means mature, complete and fully informed. It's about learning and growing and becoming exactly who the Lord wants you to be. Then you can behave in a perfect way because you have the tools necessary.

Follow that same line of thinking into the life of David:

 And David behaved himself wisely in all his ways; and the LORD was with him. 1 Samuel 18:14

A perfect heart behaves itself in a way that is glorifying and honoring to God. Because of this goal in David's life, the Lord was with him. He walked beside David, blessed him and protected him for his entire life. Isn't this what we want in our own lives? Then why do we get cluttered up with immaturity and selfishness? That's not God's definition of perfect at all.

And then there's Joseph:

And the LORD was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. And his master saw that the LORD was with him, and that the LORD made all that he did to prosper in his hand.  Genesis 39:2-3

Perfection in Joseph's life spilled over for everyone to see. Even an unsaved Egyptian recognized that it was the blessings of the Lord that made Joseph who he was. His master saw the perfect heart in Joseph, and he saw how everything around him prospered because of the relationship he had with God. This is no accident. A perfect heart and a perfect life - God's perfect - become a beacon to those around you.

So how to we achieve perfection? Not by making no mistakes, having no faults and doing everything just right. Remember, that's the world's definition, not God's.

Let your heart therefore be perfect with the LORD our God, to walk in his statutes, and to keep his commandments, as at this day. 1 Kings 8:61

Walk and keep. Walk in the way the Lord leads - willingly and with great delight. And keep - keep His commandments and follow His direction. Walk and keep sounds so simple, but this is the path that leads to perfection. The pursuit of God's perfection is so much more simple than you would think.

There are many, many more verses that talk about achieving perfection in the eyes of the Lord. Read them for yourself and let me know what other ones you know and love.

Genesis 6:9
Genesis 17:1
Deuteronomy 18:13
2 Samuel 22:33
1 Kings 11:4
2 Kings 20:3
1 Chronicles 29:9
Job 1:1
Psalm 18:32
Proverbs 2:21
Matthew 5:48
2 Corinthians 13:11

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