This is my favorite picture. In this moment, they both seem perfect.However, I have been taught that biblically, the term perfect refers more to completeness or full maturity than it does to sinlessness (thought that would be part of the the completeness). If that's true, and I believe that it is, is it true that babies are perfect?
We often say that they are. They have not yet soiled themselves with lewd thoughts and hurtful behavior. But if perfection is completeness or full maturity, then babies are about as as imperfect as they come. They have long way to go to get to perfection. This is obvious in the physical, emotional and mental aspect, but they certainly have a long way to go spiritually as well.
If perfection or completeness is defined by the pure and selfless love of Jesus, as I contend it should be, then again babies probably have longest to go. As much as I adore my children and many, many other children, I have to concede that they are selfish. I love my ten month old son with all my heart, but I admit that for the thousands of tears that he has already shed, not one have been for anyone but him. I very much doubt that he has any concept of how his mom or dad feel or what they're going through. Of course, I would never hold that against him. I don't expect anything different. I don't expect the same level of perfection (maturity) from him as I would an adult.
These are some things that have been running through my head that have been altering how I approach spiritual growth. Jesus asks us to be perfect. If it were just about sinlessness, I could point to the cross and declare, "Done!" But it's about full maturity too (which is also a gift of grace by the constant work of the Holy Spirit, but requires me to be in concert with him).
It changes my approach to parenting too. I must be equally concerned with teaching them to love selflessly as I am about enforcing my list of "Thou shalt not's".
And it alters the way I view many other things. For instance, the excuse "I was born this way" loses all steam when we realize we were born as imperfect as possible.
What do you think?
1 comment:
I appreciate such a view on "perfection." It removes the excuses. Not just "I was born that way" but "Nobody's perfect but Jesus" and "We can't help it - we live in a fallen world."
I wonder, can we really define perfection when viewed in this way? What is completeness? How do we know when we get there? (I contend that we can get there, otherwise Jesus would not have commanded it). Is it just selflessness combined with sinlessness, or is there more to it? I would be interested in seeing you or someone else paint a picture of perfection.
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