Perfect

I expected silence yesterday.  Be perfect.


I covered that verse with some 9th grade guys Wednesday night and one started to ask "were supposed to be...?"  He, and most of the others, hadn't considered that we are supposed to be perfect.  I asked "what does it mean?" and started getting "but God knows we aren't perfect", "God sent Jesus because He knew we'd mess up" and "we can't be perfect."  I loved the last one.  We can't?  My response was simply "why?" which was only met with silence.


We are called to perfection.  Not simply doing our best.  Not just trying to be as good or better than the best person we know.  Perfection.  So, why is it so easy for some to say "don't beat yourself up" or "you can't be perfect" when we mess up?  I'm called to perfection so pointing out my failings and learning from my mistakes should be only a natural progression to striving for perfection, shouldn't it?


Why do baseball players take hundreds of practice swings a day?  Why do golfers hit hundreds of golf balls a day?  Why do musicians practice their instrument hours and hours each week?  Why does anyone who wants to be the best in the endeavor work on being the best?  The best strive for perfection.  I don't know an accomplished baseball player who ever said they wanted to hit 3 out of 10.  They did everything they could to hit 10 out of 10.  I've never heard a professional golfer say they wanted to hit most of the fairways or make most of their putts.  I've never heard of a musician saying they hope to play at least 90% of their notes correctly.  They all want perfection.  And, sometimes they achieve it.  Plenty of baseball players have hit 4 for 4 in a game.  Plenty of golfers have shot below par.  Plenty of musicians have played perfectly in a concert.  They did it because that is what they shot for.  Not to simply do their best but to achieve perfection.


I have to ask, will I simply try not to make too many mistakes today or will I try to achieve perfection today?


Grace and peace to you.