Welcome, 2013!!!

I was thinking about New Year’s resolutions today; I was also reading the Bible (great combo)! I read when Jesus said, “Be perfect, therefore, as your Heavenly Father is perfect.” (Mt. 5:48) At first, I said, “Uhhhhh…… okay….. care to elaborate?” Lucky for me the answer was, “I did! Read the rest of this Bible.” …Well played God, well played!

As I was thinking about those words, “Be perfect, therefore, as your Heavenly Father is perfect” I was thinking, it does not say, ‘be better than others’. It does not say, ‘strive to be the best.’ Nor does it not tell us to leave others behind. In fact, being perfect would require us to help others along as well! To be perfect would be to become as Christ-like as possible. To be Christ-like requires drawing others to be Christ-like as well.

I am a pretty competitive guy. Growing up and all through college, it was always about being better than the others. Tests, grades, sports, work. I had to be better. But we are not asked to be better than others. Being better than others requires the ‘relative failure’ of the other (yes, we might both pass a test, but relative to me, the other guy failed, or, I failed relative to him). BUT! If I am working to be perfect, I will desire it in my heart for the guy next to me to pass as well! And that is something beautiful: getting to the point where I no longer want to outdo the other guy.

Does this mean I have to lose every game of basketball I play from now on? NO! If we play, I will win!  But looking for the victory alone cannot be our attitude. I want to look for perfection, and let what happens, happen. I won’t be upset if I lose, I won’t be prideful if I win. (this attitude has yet to show up in my life… that’s why it is part of the resolution! Haha)

Sports are not exactly what I am getting at. I am getting at life. Let this new year bring a renewed enthusiasm for striving for perfection, not to be better than others. Let our perfection reflect what the Gospels talk about. Let our idea of perfection only be complete when our brothers and sisters are growing with us, not failing relative to us! We are not called to be better than anyone; we are called to perfection.

We are human, so we may never be fully perfect… but we HAVE TO strive for it. We have to make it our resolution to strive for perfection at every moment. Even though we may fail in this resolution… First, we have Jesus to fill our weakness. Second… who has ever, in the history of humankind, ever succeeded in fulfilling their New Year’s resolution?! Do not let our human weakness, or potential failure, stop you from striving for that perfection! We are very clearly called to strive for perfection, it must be our resolution!

Happy New Year to everyone!! Just 92 minutes to go for me! J