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Change Your Life
I think it is ok to allow yourself to make mistakes. Making them often helps teach us what is right. Trying to be perfect leads to perfectionism which most people agree is not healthy. Leading a narrow existence also leaves our experience of life emptier then if we were to experiment and broaden our horizons. Also when we are not trying to be perfect we don’t have overly high expectations in others and we become more tolerant and accepting of others. We can’t know everything and we should be somewhat curious about what we don’t know, at least for the sake of our mental health. We also learn forgiveness in the process and also might find out just how wrong we were all along.
The above passage touches on a few topics that I love to talk about, one being perfection. A few years back, like 20 years or so, there as a question asked by a Talking Head on a radio show. The question, “Can humans ever be perfect?”
Well, I just had to call in, because I knew my answer would be different from the rest. My view of perfection is not the normal view, yet I do believe it is the correct view. When people ask me if I think I am perfect I always respond “Yes”.. The look on their face is worth it alone, but I truly mean it. Yes, I do think of myself as perfect. But once again, it comes down to my understanding of perfection.
Perfection, to me, has many different meanings. Perfection in art is not the same for you as it is for me, but perfection in engineering of a rocket had to have some concrete value. Perfection as a human, well that is a whole other level of meanings.
Human perfection was achieved once, Adam and Eve held on to it until they ate of the apple, from that point on we are a fallen being, never again to achieve that level of perfection in our humanly life.
But….
The Perfection of the original Adam and Eve is not the perfection of todays Adam and Eve. Thanks to the new Adam, Jesus Christ, we can now hope to obtain our own level of perfection. The sacrifice made by Jesus, to forgive our sins and all sins, also forgave the original sin of Adam and Eve. Allowing us, the descendants of Adam and Eve, to achieve a new perfection.
What is this new perfection, and who can achieve it? Taking the second part first, we all can achieve this new perfection. Each and everyone one of us, thanks to the sacrifice of our Lord and Savior, Jest the Christ.
But what is it and how do I achieve it…
The new perfection is achieved in our understanding that we, as a fallen being, can never be perfect. Yep you got it, we are perfect in our understanding that we can never be perfect….
But its not that easy…
Our understanding of our imperfections is just the start, it is also our humility as a fallen being. We must be humble, we must be meek and in this we will be perfect.
Don’t believe me, well it is Jesus tells us so:
Matthew
Chapter 5
- 1 1 When he saw the crowds, 2 he went up the mountain, and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him.
- 2 He began to teach them, saying:
- 3 3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, 4 for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
- 4 5 Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted.
- 5 6 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land.
- 6 Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, 7 for they will be satisfied.
- 7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
- 8 8 Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God.
- 9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
- 10 Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, 9 for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
- 11 Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you (falsely) because of me.
- 12 10 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven. Thus they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
- ………………….
- 48 So be perfect, 30 just as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Each and every Beatitude is a call to humility and perfection. Jesus understands that we can never again obtain the level of perfect granted to Adam and Eve, yet He calls us to an even greater perfect, a perfection of a life shared with Him.
To be perfect, as the world describes it, is to be unsatisfied and miserable. But to be perfect as the heavenly Father is, is to be fulfilled and joyful. Me, I will take this perfection any day of the week…
But back to my answer to the radio show host, I told him I was perfect, perfect in my understanding that I am imperfect…. I stand by this statement, for as a fallen man, I can never achieve any other perfect here on earth, and I know this, I know my failing and shortcomings, and I humbly acknowledge the only through the grace of God, as His instrument here on earth, do I ever achieve any lever of success.
Do I make mistakes, sure, all the time, am I at times un-humble, yep, happens all the time, do I try to change this, to become more humble, yep, all the time. That is perfection, understanding that I need to change, to grow and to become a better person, but I also I need to understand that I cannot become perfect on my own, that I need the grace of God to do so, and I have to humbly admit my human failure, to give God his do…
Perfection can be achieved… If you understand what perfection is…
God Bless
Paul
An American Point of View 
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Very well said. We can never be perfect indeed, and the least we could do is understand and know that we can’t be perfect but we can try to live piously, humble ourselves and ask for our Lord’s mercy and grace.
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At first I didn’t know for sure if I liked where you were going with this but found as I read on that I liked it a lot. A fresh way of looking at things for sure. I gave you a pingback to the new poem that I just wrote titled “Perfection Is God’s Business” based on a quote by Michael J. Fox. I hope you enjoy it! God bless, Teresa
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