I Aim For Perfection, But Settle For Excellence

2 Corinthians 13:11Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.

Or 'aim for perfection'.  I like these words!  I'm a perfectionist really, but I get frustrated when I fall short (which is what I inevitably do).  But we should aim for perfection, not be perfect.  We have been called to aim high (i.e. reach for heaven - really high!!) but we must avoid the dangers of perfectionism .... frustration, boasting, knocking someone else out the way to get there, etc.

Aim for Joy:Proverbs 8:22-31God sovereignly made me—the first, the basic—before he did anything else.  I was brought into being a long time ago, well before Earth got its start.  I arrived on the scene before Ocean, yes, even before Springs and Rivers and Lakes.  Before Mountains were sculpted and Hills took shape, I was already there, newborn; Long before God stretched out Earth's horizons and tended to the minute details of Soil and Weather, and set Sky firmly in place, I was there.  When he mapped and gave borders to wild Ocean, built the vast vault of Heaven, and installed the fountains that fed Ocean, When he drew a boundary for Sea, posted a sign that said no trespassing, and then staked out Earth's foundations, I was right there with him, making sure everything fit.  Day after day I was there, with my joyful applause, always enjoying his company, delighted with the world of things and creatures, happily celebrating the human family.

Proverbs is speaking of Wisdom (who is personified), or Jesus.  He was there at the beginning with God.  Full of joy, we should aim for this too.  This passage reminds me of an awesome scene of nature and you just can't help but praise God because you know He made it, and what is before your eyes is just awesome!  When I see something like that I always feel so full of joy, this is what we should aim for.

Luke 9:10-27 shows us how to aim to be full of Love like Jesus was.  'Denying ourselves and daily taking up our cross.'  And: 'For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.  What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self?'

Even if we are the most successful person of all time and 'gain the world', it will be no good.  We must abandon our lives.  This passage demands perfection but we all will fall short since we are human.  This does not stop us aiming high though, we should always try.

'Before you talk, listen. Before you react, think. Before you criticise, pause. Before you give up, try again.'