Redefining Perfect

Have you ever wanted some thing , or wanted something to happen and then realized how hard it would be to accomplish it? Perhaps you entered a race, and then later realized how hard it would be to actually train. Or maybe you had a goal to lose some weight, and discovered too many cookies had you on speed dial and they kept calling you. Or maybe you wanted to earn your AA or BA, Masters or Doctorate degree but life kept interfering and you found yourself without funds, or you got sick, or someone in your family had a crisis and you needed to step in. Perhaps you’ve just wanted to have a day with literally nothing to do (a favorite dream of mine!) and to gain that one day seems to cost you a month of overtime and no sleep.  Sometimes I wonder why I do what I do – is it worth the cost, the time, the effort?  Sometimes I wonder if there’s something better for me.

More often than not, I need to be honest with myself and admit I want life to be easier, more accomodating to me, more ideal – more “perfect.”

My mailbox is currently being flooded with magazines picturing an idyllic Thanksgiving feast. My email inbox is already overflowing with Christmas gift ideas to purchase or create. Television talk shows are prepping me for holidays with amazing tips and tricks that a variety of “experts” are convinced I should implement. The picture perfect life is presented to me as possible everywhere I turn. My desk and my office, along with the laundry still in the dryer, the bathroom that needs be cleaned, and my checkbook that refuses to balance, are telling me a different story.
I have been spending some time soaking up God’s Truth in Psalm 33 and I am beginning to wonder if I have the wrong image of the perfect life; the Psalmist lays out truth that tells me Christ gives a “perfect life.”
1.) There is joy because of the LORD (verse 1). I know that I am loved (with an unfailing love) and that God in his great mercy has provided a way for me to have an intimate relationship with the King and Creator, God Almighty. In fact, the Lord is so amazing, and provides such joy, I should continually be coming up with new songs to praise him (verse 3)! A note in my NET Bible says, “A new song is appropriate because the LORD is constantly intervening in the lives of his people in fresh and exciting ways.” What’s not perfect about that? God constantly intervenes in my life so that I know joy, unfailing love, and intimacy.
2.) God is in control (verses 4-11). These verses are packed with the truth that God is the Creator and sustainer of our physical world. He literally spoke the earth into being -that’s quite a bit of power and creativity! And ALL of God’s Words are right, just and fair (verses 4.5). God can’t go against who he is and he is ultimately faithful (verse 5); He is reliable and dependable and His plan, for this earth and all who dwell here, will happen (verse 11).  These truths really speak to the reality that my picture of perfect needs to be replaced with the fact that God Himself is the only perfection, and only He is absolutely worthwhile.
3.) God sees me and He sees You (verse 13). This is more than a “hey! I see you over there . . . way over there.” The verse says God looks carefully, intently. closely. Verse 14 tells us that God watches or observes. Verse 15 says he made our hearts, therefore he understands what we do, why we make the choices we make, why I long for coffee and someone else longs for diet Pepsi (yuck). God is invested in me -I am his creation. If I were someone who designed a line of clothing, I would take extra care of what I created. I would make sure it was safe, protected, displayed so every one would see its awesomeness.  I would check seams and hems and embellishments to make sure the thread is strong and holding as it should. I would be proud of what I did. Why would I think God will be any different when it comes to me? God sees me and knows me: He knows where I will stretch and where I won’t; He knows where my construction needs an extra seam; He knows where my design has flair, and what areas need to be hidden; whether I need to be buttoned up, zipped up or closed with a hidden hook and eye. God sees me for who He created me to be, I am perfect in His design,  and I can only know His perfection for me if I follow His choices, picked for me.
4.) God will demonstrate His faithfulness (verses 18-22). Sometimes God delivers and gives us the magazine-perfect picture. Sometimes God provides just what is needed to get through a rough time, like just enough food to survive a famine (verse 19). My oldest sister died of cancer more than fifteen years ago. I remember telling God as I looked at her in the casket, that he could bring her back to life, that it would be really good if she just sat up and started talking. I also remember God later speaking to my heart and saying, “is it not just as great a miracle that You and Your family are still serving and praising me, than if I had raised your sister back to life?” The famines of life are never experiences we want to repeat AND God remains faithful and perfect in the midst of them.  Through the love and mercy of Christ to me,  the pain and heartache of losing my sister taught me a perfect lesson that has sustained send encouraged me again and again and again.

Perfection isn’t an ideal life.  Perfect life is found in the ideal person of Jesus. My heart has been reminded of how perfectly God intervenes on my behalf; I am composing a new song to sing, to God be all the glory.