How the misinterpretation of the true meaning has left so many in pursuit of an unattainable goal.

 "Be therefore perfect, even as your heavenly Father is perfect"

- Matthew 5:48

“I am a perfectionist…”, “If I could just have some more time to perfect this…”, “Once I get perfect at this, God will use me in a multitude of ways…”

Perfect: make (something) completely free from faults or defects, or as close to such a condition as possible.

Simply Perfection. If we could all just strive until we reach that level of skill, everything will fall into place…right?

Society nowadays has built up such an unhealthy idea of perfection. Whether it is relating to ones talents, skills, body, personality, career, family, status, etc. There is seemingly this unspoken hunt for perfection that nobody wants to talk about.

We see it in students as they tear themselves apart over anything less than an A on a test. We see it in Pastors as they preach with a sense of discouragement when they notice that half of the pews are empty. We see it in Parents as they argue with each other at the smallest mention of their wayward child. We see it in the kid who skips meal after meal as they push to get their ideal body type.

I could go on and on listing the effects that perfectionism plays in the lives of billions across the globe.

This idea of “flawless” has taken a toll on nearly everyone. The moment a person gains a passion for something, perfectionism is what makes themselves their biggest enemy.

But how does this affect our relationship with God?

As many know, the Bible is not shy when it comes to telling us who we are as humans. It is written in countless verses that we are sinners, far from perfect, lost without Christ, and incapable of saving ourselves. So if God is clear that we will never reach this level of perfection, why would Jesus call us to be perfect in the verse above (Matthew 5:48)?

To understand the true meaning of this verse and the reason behind why Jesus gives us such a serious call, we must first break down the true definition behind the original words used when this verse was written.

The Hebrew Word: “Tam” or “Tamim”

The Greek Word: “Teleios”

= complete; mature; finished; fully developed.

As you can see, “flawless” or “without mistake” is not one of the definitions. This is not to say that God is not flawless, but rather, this word used in the original text was meant to describe one who completes, with maturity, the main command of God. That being, to love God and love your neighbor as you are being sanctified (Matthew 22:37-39).

We were never called to be flawless. It is made clear that God knows is impossible for any human to reach such a goal. If that was not true, there would be no need for Christ and salvation, we would be able to attain it ourselves.

In a culture where the majority is being swayed to believe that a certain style, body type, personality, education, etc. is “perfect” and all else must either step aside or aim to reach the same standards, we easily lose our focus from what really matters. We let ourselves, or our dreams, become our idols.

Every time we try to measure up to some standard society or even our own minds encourage us to pursue, we lose sight of who God called us to be. So all in all…strive for perfection, but in the way God intended, not the world.