Perfection

Oh I don’t dare talk about Christian perfection… it seems to be a hot topic down here, but I do wish to talk a moment about this idea that we haveto be perfect or we somehow aren’t worth anything.

My mind so often goes the sports route when dealing in analogies… and I think about some of the best athletes we watch week to week in whatever sport we prefer.  The best football quarterbacks throw interceptions.  The best running backs fumble.  The best soccer players miss the goal.  The best basketball players miss a jump-shot here and there.  And yet we laud their talent! We applaud the effort and celebrate the talent they show!  Some of us who’s couches bear the imprint of a derrier deign to critique their play as if we could play better, but for the most part, these men are celebrated despite their flaws. 

In spiritual things, though, we imply that anything short of perfection is unacceptable!  But I get the impression God is less interested in performance, and more interested in heart.  He is much like the best coaches in the world, John Wooden among them, who say “Did you give it your all? Then the win or loss doesn’t really matter”.  What does this say about sin?  It’s still sin… and BELIEVE me when I defend my position and emphasize that I am not attempting to create justification for repeated sin… I am merely emphasizing that God is less interested in a win-loss record with sin, and more interested in whether or not you are trying.

Of course if you are trying, you’ll see progress.  You might stumble over the same pebble for a few days or weeks or months in a row, but as you tryyou’ll triumph.