"Be ye therefore perfect..."

I have had a clear idea of the person I want to be today.  It's the kind of realization that comes with peace, not with discouragement.  It motivates me to be the person I know I can be.  Although it is overwhelming to think of all the goals I want to accomplish (and sometimes seems impossible to obtain) I DO feel peace in reaching for these goals.  I see clearly that I need to obtain these goals; I know that the only thing keeping me from these goals is being distracted and lazy, and it is within my power to persevere.

Thinking about goals of who I want to be makes my thoughts turn towards perfection.  How daunting that word seems.  It's almost a fairy tale word to me.  It's not really real, is it?  Is it really possible to become perfect?  Maybe, but *I* couldn't possibly attain that, could I?  Only the highest and holiest of human beings who ever walked the earth, but not me.  I'm so far from perfect, and reaching that seems against human nature.  With these thoughts in my mind and lessons that I wrote about last time(about guidance), I turned to the church's website for some more insight about the topic of perfection.

I looked up "perfection" on LDS.org, and read Russel M. Nelson's talk entitled, Perfection Pending.  Again, another reminder that the Lord hears our prayers and answers them.  That he guides and directs our lives and is on the other side of the door, waiting for us to knock so he can answer.  I've read something similar to this before, but it was a good reminder about what the Lord had in mind when he said, “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” 


Here's an exert from the talk that I found the most interesting (with obvious places that I found particularly interesting):   

"Recently I studied the English and Greek editions of the New Testament, concentrating on each use of the term perfect and its derivatives. Studying both languages together provided some interesting insights, since Greek was the original language of the New Testament.

In Matt. 5:48, the term perfect was translated from the Greek teleios,which means “complete.” Teleios is an adjective derived from the nountelos, which means “end.” ¹⁰ The infinitive form of the verb is teleiono,which means “to reach a distant end, to be fully developed, to consummate, or to finish.” ¹¹ Please note that the word does not imply “freedom from error”; it implies “achieving a distant objective.” In fact, when writers of the Greek New Testament wished to describe perfection of behavior—precision or excellence of human effort—they did not employ a form of teleios; instead, they chose different words. ¹²

With that background in mind, let us consider another highly significant statement made by the Lord. Just prior to his crucifixion, he said that on “the third day I shall be perfected.” ¹³ Think of that! The sinless, errorless Lord—already perfect by our mortal standards—proclaimed his own state of perfection yet to be in the future. ¹⁴ His eternal perfection would follow his resurrection and receipt of “all power … in heaven and in earth.” ^15"

"The perfection that the Savior envisions for us is much more than errorless performance. It is the eternal expectation as expressed by the Lord in his great intercessory prayer to his Father—that we might be made perfect and be able to dwell with them in the eternities ahead. ^16"

"The atonement of Christ fulfilled the long-awaited purpose for which he had come to the earth. His concluding words upon Calvary’s cross referred to the culmination of his assignment—to atone for all humankind. Then he said, “It is finished.” ²¹ Not surprisingly, the Greek word from which finished was derived is teleios."

Isn't that amazing?!  We aren't ACTUALLY commanded to be without error!  The Lord isn't actually expecting us to be perfect in the way that we use the word, and therefore I am NOT falling short of this commandment every day when I make mistake after mistake!  


With that in mind I'm starting (once again) with fresh motivation to be a better person, with the idea in mind that I'm not failing in being perfect every time I fall short of my goals.  As long as I keep on going, keep trying to be better, I'm on my way to perfection; something that no one can possibly achieve on this earth, but something that is possible to obtain when life on this earth is complete.  :)  And THAT gives me peace, joy, and motivation to keep on trying!