March 5th 2016
Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. – Matthew 5:48 NIV
When I played basketball in high school (a very long time ago), I played a position on a pressing defense that required me to anticipate and steal the opposing team’s passes. I did not always succeed and, at times, became very frustrated. My coach, who I now realize was a master psychologist, would sometimes encourage me, sometimes demonstrate what I should do, and when I became frustrated, he was known to say, “If you can’t do it, I will find someone who can.” Those words only made me want to try harder.
Later, at an athletic banquet that year, our coach spoke briefly about each senior. When he got to me, one of the things he said was that some of the things that he asked me to do on that pressing defense were really impossible, but he wanted me to work hard because it made me a better player.
I have often thought about those words he spoke that night. Why did I work so hard to try to steal those passes? I came to realize that there were two reasons. First, I did respect the coach, and I wanted to please him. Second, when I did get it right, it helped my team, and that gave me great satisfaction.
The Bible verse that I chose for this devotion used to trouble me. How could Jesus expect me to be perfect like my heavenly Father is perfect? The footnote in my Bible says that “Christ sets up the high ideal of perfect love—not that we can fully attain it in this life. That, however, is God’s high standard for us.”
My conclusion is that, much like my coach, who knew that I could not steal every pass, God knows that we will not be perfect. However, that is the standard for which we are to strive. It is true that our salvation does not come from what we do, but once we have accepted Jesus as our Savior, we should want to work at doing His will. As we travel through this Lenten season, maybe we can all strive for that perfection that God is asking for because if we do, we will please the Coach and Help the Team.
– Steve Smith
