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

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For many years I assumed I was a huge failure in God’s eyes. I felt like I was His one mistake (we know He doesn’t make mistakes). I just knew I could NEVER be perfect.

The problem with words is that so many times they change their meaning. God doesn’t change what He meant; people do.

Most people in our past few generations think of the word perfect as, “having no mistake or flaw.” This would mean that no one on earth could ever be prefect. The minute we think we are, we would be wrong!

One study shows that the word perfect generally means complete or mature. Therefore if we are challenged to become complete or mature, it is obviously a progressive statement – just keep putting one step in front of the other and work toward the goal.

That word perfect originally comes from a primary word meaning, “…(the) point aimed at; to set out for a definite point or goal”.  Another meaning “to complete thoroughly, repair or adjust”

How do we work toward a goal? How are we to adjust to God’s way of thinking? Easy! We “renew our minds” (Romans 12:2) – renew: to renovate; to repair or improve. We do this by “washing our minds” with the Word of God (Ephesians 5:26).

So yes. We have to read our Bible (and faith-based books, listening to faith-based teachers, etc.)  It is the food our spirit needs to grow and thrive. We can’t renew our minds any other way.  We can’t mature or even become complete without renewing our minds. 

So I am grateful I don’t have to be the dictionary’s description of perfect. I am not God’s one mistake. What a load off my mind! 

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