“Therefore, you shall be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48 NASB)
Over the years I have witnessed individuals working endlessly, striving to be better, laboring daily in some area or the other. Surprisingly, shockingly, and with the surpassing o time, they reached “better.” Here are a few examples. There was the overweight woman who tread miles of speed walking around the neighborhoods daily. I never thought she would reach her goal to defeat obesity, but after several months I saw her on her daily morning walk and her weight had drastically dropped. Look how she got there. She kept striving for better relentlessly.
There was the young man who you could hear bouncing a basketball every single day, loud enough to make me go outside to see what was going on. I saw him shooting one shot after the other, playing or practicing all alone on his driveway court, regardless of the weather. As I was pessimistic about the young man’s ability to make his high school team, primarily because his shooting form was awkward in my view, and his shot’s made percentage was low. It turns out that I was wrong. He not only made the team, but he played a key role on a team that won the state championship. Look at how he got there. He kept striving for better relentlessly. There was the boy in my class, back in my early teaching days, a student that I actually failed due to his sub-par work and poor performance on weekly quizzes, as well as required tests. I predicted his academic future was in jeopardy, questionable for sure. However, years later I ran into him, and he described his new job, employed by a company in a technical field that required knowledge that I could never have acquired. Look how he got there. He kept striving for better relentlessly.
There were the former grade school and high school peers that I saw recently at a special church service. They had come up in a time before the seven-on seven pre-season game formats in football was introduced, participation in organized summer basketball, and formal practices were not allowed, or you risked ineligibility when the season came. In spite of their off-season opportunities to develop their athletic abilities were denied, they played on teams that accumulated winning records each season, and some went on to star at the collegiate level. How did they get there? They would go to a city park and practice, run plays, develop their skills and techniques regularly during the hot summer that preceded the season in which their sport was played. They kept striving for better relentlessly.
I could tell you many more stories, but just let me share one more and then get to your story. There was a delinquent youth who attended Sunday School and church regularly, as he was made to do so every week. Attendance was mandatory, made so by his parents. Note that being in attendance did not divert him from being involved in all kinds of bad deeds, speaking bad language, and displaying bad morals. His future was questionable. What is he doing now? Well, somewhere along the line he started and continued to study the word of God. That’s a life changer and it paid off. For you see, currently he is now pastoring a big church, and doing a great work for the Lord. How did he get where he is now? He finally understood why going to church was of value and how the study of the word would change his personal values, just as night turns to daytime. He saw the light and started studying the word daily. He kept striving for better relentlessly.
A few stories, right? But there is another I cannot leave out. It is your story. Looking at the aforementioned examples ought to have actually motivated you to strive for “better” in your pursuit of various kinds of good goals, but most definitely, understanding the purpose of these meditations, the examples above should motivate you to comply with Jesus’ words in the opening verse. No, we will not achieve perfection, but as you have heard me say before, “If you pursue perfection in your Christian walk, you will achieve excellence.” You will not only surprise people, but you will show people by your living how to keep getting better and better and better as you press on toward the mark. You will also please our Father who art in heaven.
Keep striving for “better,” my friend. Keep advancing your story! Have a “pressing on,” pursuit of excellence Tuesday, no matter what conditions you are facing. God be with you! Be blessed!
“I don’t mean to say I am perfect. I haven’t learned all I should even yet, but I keep working toward that day when I will finally be all that Christ saved me for and wants me to be. No, dear brothers (and sisters), I am still not all I should be, but I am bringing all my energies to bear on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God is calling us up to heaven because of what Christ Jesus did for us.” (Philippians 3:12-14 The Living Bible)
Committed to the climb,
Mark L. King