Perfection and the Heart

Whenever we do something wrong or fall short, we love to say, "Well, I'm not perfect!" The truth is, if we aren't perfect, it's only because we choose not to be. Clearly the Bible tells us that we can be perfect. Remember what God told Abraham in Genesis 17:1"...walk before me, and be thou perfect."

It also states in Deuteronomy 18:13 "Thou shalt be perfect with the LORD thy God."

Matthew 5:48 states: "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect."

The problem, I think, is in the interpretation of perfect. Most of us think of perfect as never making a mistake and doing everything well. When The Father looks for perfection, He looks at the heart:

I Kings 8:61 says, "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."

God wants our hearts to be perfect. This is why Jesus spoke so much on the importance of us loving The Father and loving one another. The wonderful thing about loving God and His commandments and statutes is that it enables us to love one another even more. We must keep guard over our heart and make sure that it does not get polluted with predjudices, judgment, hate, envy, pride, strife covetousness, idolatry and the cares of this world. We should all strive to be perfect like Abraham, Job and Jesus. We can be perfect if our heart is perfect - at least in the eyes of The Father. Isn't that all that matters?

Much love, peace and blessings to you!