Be Perfect?

Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Matthew 5:48

We just got back from Winter Retreat yesterday. What an awesome time! It was great to get out of the city, breathe some mountain air and be reminded that there really are stars in the sky. It was a ton of fun hanging out together, and the services were filled with amazing times of worship and insight from God's Word. I took away a lot from our speaker, Eli Gautreau's messages, but one thing really hit me. In his last message on Sunday morning, Eli unpacked Jesus' words about being perfect.

When I hear Jesus say be perfect, the first thing that comes to my mind is "Impossible!" Eli helped us all to understand that Jesus is addressing our intentions. We've all tried and failed at changing our actions. The problem is that we haven't allowed the change to go deep enough. When we allow Jesus access to our hearts, our core convictions, we can see our intention change. When our intention is for following Jesus in everything we do, we'll find ourselves becoming more like him in thought and action.

So where are your intentions directed? Have you allowed Jesus access to your heart? How do we do this? Maybe you need to find a quiet place to pray and reflect on where your life is oriented. Another great way is to immerse yourself in the wisdom of the Bible and allow it to speak to where you live. Don't forget about the help that comes from fellow believers. Grab some coffee (if that's your thing) with a fellow Christ-follower and talk about what God is doing in your life. Whatever you do, open yourself up to Jesus. It's the only way to find the transformation we're looking for.