Philippians 3

News flash, we’re not perfect like Jesus, nor can we ever be perfect. Now there are two things we can do with this knowledge. We can, as many do, realize this and give up. Turn to desires of the flesh and denounce our citizenship in Heaven. I have been down this road thinking, “I can never be perfect, so why should I try”. Woe to those who choose this path, for only death and torture wait!

But the other choice, the right path, is to press onward toward the goal, to do the best we possibly can, even if we can’t be perfect. Paul says in verse 12, “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.” This says it all. Paul is saying that he doesn’t have it all figured out, he is not perfect, but he is getting better by the day by reaching out for Jesus who has already reached out for him (and us). So you can’t reach perfection, but we can be a lot better than we are, and reap the benefits of it.

For example, I’ll use my weight, so I can’t be 155 lbs. like I was in my youth. Does that mean that I don’t try, if so, I get exactly where I am now, 300 lbs. But what if I try for “perfection” eventhough it is out of my reach. I still get the benefits of better health, longer life, enjoyable activities and less joint pain. So what if the best I can do is 220, it’s not 155 but it’s a whole lot better than 300.

I use this example, not to belittle or sacrilege, but to put in perspective. There are many, many benefits for us and others, that come from our daily walk with Christ Jesus. Where we follow His example to be like Him. No we can’t be perfect like Jesus, but we can definitely be a lot better than what we are, plus we reap the benefits of following God’s will and helping save others from eternal suffering. Reach for the stars, though they are out of reach, you might pluck a juicy apple from a tree for your efforts that you wouldn’t have gotten by not trying.