"Give yourself up to God without reserve; in singleness of heart meeting everything that every day brings forth, as something that comes from God, and is to be received and gone through by you, in such an heavenly use of it, as you would suppose the holy Jesus would have done in such occurrences. This is an attainable degree of perfection."
-William Law
I don't know about you, but I shy away from the word "perfection" where it regards my Christian walk. As any good baptist knows, I realize that we cannot reach perfection while here on earth. But I often forget that we are commanded to be holy as our Saviour was holy. Does that mean I will be as holy as Christ? No, I'm afraid it doesn't. But there is an "attainable degree of perfection" to be had by saying and doing everything under the banner of what Jesus would do. ("What would Jesus do?" is such a cliche' phrase, but it really is an essential part of the Christian's walk with God.)
If we think that every day, every hour, let me tell you right now that there would be some huge differences in our lives. I don't just mean the "big things," (which we so often associate with "what would Jesus do?") would be different, but mostly the little things would be altered, like responding to that person I don't really care for with true love, or speaking lovingly to my little sister when I want to scream and pull my hair out with frustration.
Little things, yes - but they ultimately have big consequences.
Will you and I seek after this attainable perfection in the coming week? Or will we nod approvingly at this quote and then live exactly the same as before?
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2 comments:
Perfectionism doesn't scare me, it is something I try not to bow too much to. When we have as wonderful a Savior & Father as we have, how can we not?
"Holiness is not the highest form of legalism. Holiness is the highest expression of love." -Clyde Cranford
"The papist works that he may merit Heaven. The Pharisee works that he may be applauded, that he may be seen of men, that he may have a good esteem with them. The slave works lest he should be beaten, lest he should be damned. The formalist works that he may stop the mouth of conscience, that will be accusing him, if he do nothing. The ordinary professor works because it is a shame to do nothing where so much is professed. But the true believer works because he loves. This is the principal, if not the only motive, that sets him a-work. If there were no other motive within or without him, yet would he be working for God, acting for Christ, because he loves Him; it is like fire in his bones" -David Clarkson
I don't really know if you like to listen to sermons on MP3 or on the computer (aka, that's another thing I need to learn), but Dr Tozer's sermons on Hebrews 6:1 are really good along these lines.
http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=102907522492
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