God of perfection smile kindly on the attempts of this dear reader to be perfect; in Christ Jesus' name I pray, amen.
This verse closes Matthew 5: 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
I know a lof of avid and rabid golfers. I know a lot of avid and rabid bowlers. I do not know a single person who has ever in his or her life either golfed (is that the term?) a round of golf where s/he made 18 holes in one. I do not know a single person who has bowled a perfect, 300 game every time s/he bowled. Does this mean they have sworn off their games? Sworn maybe, but that's another lesson for later, but never given up their admiration or addiction of the game.
Yet, here is Jesus talking about life, with its ups and downs, mountains and valleys, friends and enemies, in-laws and out-laws, talking about our being perfect! John Wesley figured it out: We must be perfect in love in this life. He did not mean that as a destination or end, but rather a process, a journey of daily improving our love so that when we reach the very end of our lives, we would be rewarded with the knowledge that we had tried to be made perfect in love. This comes, I can't resist, at a perfect time in our conference's week, for this week, later today in fact, when Bishop Jim Dorff will ask our Elder candidates if they are striving to "be made perfect in love." Every single one of them will, if they have been paying any attention at all to professors, pastors, mentors, guides, friends, et al, will say, "YES!" Could you?
It boils down to this: Have you tried today to be better than yesterday in your love towards God, towards others and towards yourself? Do you care more? Are you a bit more compassionate? If you answered yes, you're on your way! If you answered no, start today!
PRAYER: Loving God I confess that I sometimes have not kept my need to be as Your Son said I should be. I sometimes want more love than I am willing to show and give others. Let me begin today (again) to be on that road towards being made perfect in love in this life. I ask this in Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
Eradio Valverde
