God speaks to us mainly for our healing, growth, and character development.
Perfection! Wait, What???
God wants us to be perfect, but how do we attain such a lofty ideal? First, let’s look at what the words perfect and perfection mean.
Matthew 5:48 says:
48 Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect. (WEB)
Our initial reaction to perfection likely looks something like this: We never make a mistake, we always treat others the way we want to be treated, we never lose our tempers, we never swear, etcetera, etcetera, and the list goes on.
But the word perfect doesn’t quite mean that. It comes from Greek, and as an adjective, the word teleios means perfect, matured, finished, mature adults; as a noun, the word is teleiotes which means perfection, maturity, completeness. If you are complete, you lack nothing and are whole. You are complete in mind, soul, and spirit when you are whole. Let’s take another look at Matthew 5:48 as it is written in context:
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor Leviticus 19:18 and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who mistreat you and persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Don’t even the tax collectors do the same? 47 If you only greet your friends, what more do you do than others? Don’t even the tax collectors do the same? 48 Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect. (Matt 5).
In this passage, Jesus is teaching the people to love the unlovable. How many of us do that? If we are honest, we are more prone to hate our enemies than to love them. When we get to the place of loving those who are nasty to us, then we have become “perfect” or mature in the ways of God.
Understanding Wholeness
It is often said that we are broken people. I agree. Our brokenness generally comes from how we were raised, but even if we had great adults in our lives, we still experience hurt. That’s just life, and how we process the pain determines the degree of brokenness.
A good way of thinking of wholeness is this: Let’s say you broke an ankle. Ouch! That hurts. But you see a doctor who sets the bones, puts it in a cast, and manages the pain. You continue to see the doctor every couple of weeks until it’s healed. If it is a bad break, the doctor may need to perform surgery, resulting in a longer recovery time. And after the cast comes off, you will limp until the muscles are back to full strength. You may even need physical therapy, but you will have recovered when the ordeal is over. You will be left with the memory of what happened, and while any future X-rays will show where the break was, the pain will be gone. Others won’t know you were injured unless they knew you when it happened or you choose to share your experience.
But what if you don’t see a doctor? The bones will heal on their own, but they will not heal correctly, and you will end up with some type of bone deformity. This will result in muscles, ligaments, and tendons being pushed out of their proper alignment, creating pain and probably a limp. If you are limping due to your ankle, over time, it may create pain in other areas, such as the knee or hip. It will limit your ability to exercise, which could lead to other health problems. Plus, your quality of life will certainly be decreased. You may no longer be able to do things you once enjoyed doing. Your injury will be obvious to others and will limit your mobility and ability to enjoy everyday activities.
The same thing happens when we don’t know how to handle the pain life brings. We heal incorrectly and deal with a lifetime of pain. Maybe you suffered childhood abuse and had no idea how to process it, and it is wreaking havoc in your adult life. You may be gripped with fear and anxiety, or you may be an enabler who is a doormat for others, or perhaps you pick terrible boyfriends and girlfriends, spouses, or friends. People don’t respect you; you deal with anger, resentment, and low self-esteem. You are caught in a vicious cycle and can’t figure out why.
The Good News!
The reason God speaks is to get you healed from your past! We may see how badly we behave and how badly we are treated, but we can’t find the escape route. While your first priority may be wanting a great relationship with your earthly dad, God’s priority may be to have you read the scriptures to gain a deep understanding of God as the perfect father. He wants you healed of past traumas more than you want it. He is loving, kind, patient, and ever-present. He won’t leave you, belittle you, or beat you up. If that is how your earthy father was, you would need to be “reprogrammed” to see what a good dad looks like.
Maybe you grew up fatherless and have no idea what a good dad really looks like. Either way, God is in the “dad business,” but to move forward, you will need to be able to hear him.
Until next time under the palm, be blessed!
