The journey to Perfectland

Growing up in Sunday school, the perfect Christian life felt like a series of handed-down dos and don’ts. By talking, behaving, or wearing certain clothes, one stood a better chance of being accepted into Christian circles. You can imagine my utter surprise when I finally truly encountered Papa, and He wasn’t interested in my failed attempts at perfection. Instead, He showed me unconditional love and grace I hadn’t known before. Nothing on my perfection wish list interested Him. On the contrary, He asked me to tear up my list because He only wanted my heart. He sent His Son to die for me so He could give me everything He is. I didn’t have to work my perfection up to be accepted by Him. His perfection was more than enough for me.   

As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the Lord is proven; and He is a shield to all who trust in Him. For who is God except the Lord? And who is a rock except our God? It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect. Psalms 18:30–32 

God’s perfection

When the Bible says God’s ways are perfect, we can trust that, it is on Him to get us to Perfectland, and it has nothing to do with us. Paul coins this beautifully in Ephesians 2:8, “For it is by God’s grace that you have been saved through faith. It is not the result of your own efforts, but God’s gift, so that no one can boast about it.” Therefore, my less-than-ideal days, which have been quite a number recently, do not discount me, nor do my excellent days make me more acceptable to Him. The Psalmist writes in Psalm 139 that day and night are the same to God. In the eyes of the Lord, my rough days and good days are the same. The Lord is passionate about me, just as I am because I am the perfect masterpiece that brings Him glory.   

When religion handed me a list to work with so I could be accepted by the Lord, the Father stood right at the door of my heart and beckoned me in. He said, “Cathy, open up; I want to chat with you.” How liberating is that? The Lord of the universe wants nothing from us apart from our hearts, so He can do His perfect work in us! I believe this is where King Saul faltered because he chased after acts – But Samuel answered, “What pleases the Lord more: burnt offerings and sacrifices or obedience? It is better to obey God than to offer a sacrifice. It is better to listen to God than to offer the fat of male sheep”, 1 Samuel 15:22, whereas King David sought heart surrender. “I’ve searched the land and found this David, son of Jesse. He’s a man whose heart beats to my heart, a man who will do what I tell him,” Acts 13:22. Well, we know who lingered around longer!   

My imperfection

Not too long ago, I found myself drying out of patience and kindness, with irritability and impatience creeping in. To be honest, I didn’t see it happening, but before I realised, I wasn’t the pleasant Cathy anymore. I had bitten the forbidden fruit of life’s reality, and it stung, and so I began bearing its fruit. The people who were at the mercy of this unkind person were my loved ones and anyone who dared offend me. So, suffice to say, it wasn’t pretty. But one day, encumbered by this weight and heaviness, I sat with God and in His love and mercy, He led me to the root of it all.  Yes, at the top of all this was the monster: pride! I had become prideful and self-entitled. Unfortunately, this was not the life God planned for me when He called me His own. I had to swallow my pride and accept that I was not as strong and as righteous as I had thought. I was humbled and soon realised that my worth was not in the opinion of others but in the opinion of my Father in Heaven. The experience was like that of a caterpillar emerging from its cocoon, realising that its metamorphosis would be a difficult but essential part of its journey towards becoming a butterfly. It was a difficult but necessary step to shed the old identity and embrace this new one. God showed me that it wasn’t in my power to change and become perfect. As I surrendered myself to Him, He changed me. Practically, that looked like spending more time in the Word so I could know His truth for my life. It meant giving Him my mind to be filled with His thoughts and truths. It involved allowing my tongue to utter His praise and worship. Essentially, I gave all of myself to Him to experience being His child.      

God’s Perfectland  

Right from creation, God blessed man with a Perfectland, until man got distracted and rebelled against our Creator. Nevertheless, our relentless Father didn’t deter us from His love; instead, He set us back on a path of restoration to Perfectland. The Exodus journey was the prime demonstration of the Father’s relentless pursuit to shower His children with love. Now, years later, He pours this all over us in various ways. Interestingly, the Israelites would have loved to live in our present era. I’m not sure if you know the number of laws, they had to obey to become sanctified enough to dwell near their holy God’s presence. Yes, 600+. No, thank you; I’ll rather accept God’s free gift of salvation on offer to everyone mentioned in Ephesians 2:8.

Jesus Christ was the final piece of the puzzle. Through His death, Christ paved the way for us all to walk into God’s Perfectland. Jesus did all the work and there’s nothing left for us to do. There is no checkbox to tick off; no animal sacrifices are required. There are absolutely no evening or morning prayers to get us there. Because Jesus has made all the sacrifices and offerings on our behalf, the only thing left for us to do is accept His invitation for union with the Father. Being one with Him guarantees us a spot in God’s grace of love. As citizens of God’s kingdom, we become benefactors of all that it is.   

He makes us perfect

What I found out from this experience was that God never condemned me. I lived the whole time in condemnation, and all the Lord had to offer me was His surpassing peace and love. That is who He is, and that is what He offers you and me. Jesus says, “Come unto me all who labour and are heavily laden, and I will give you rest“, Matthew 11:28. God gives us rest so we can be cleansed and renewed for the assignment. Living your life from a place of rest is a gift only the Father can provide. Man-pleasing spirit, as Coco Banov calls it, pushes us beyond ourselves, pleasing others to our detriment. Resting in Papa’s arms secures us in ways that life insurance can’t. In God’s presence, we can find peace, comfort, and hope that no amount of money or material possessions can provide. Life’s pressures will come, but divine security ensures you are firmly rooted, regardless of how the storm looks.

He is the Rock; his deeds are perfect. Everything he does is just and fair. He is a faithful God who does no wrong; how just and upright he is! Deuteronomy 32:4

Have religious expectations held you back? Are you waiting to let go of a habit before surrendering to God? Has Papa been presented to you as a mean judge in the sky who can’t wait to cast you down into hell? If you’re like me, you’re busy making your perfect list and ensuring that all the boxes are checked, so that your Heavenly Father will fully accept you.  

Do not wait any longer! Awaiting and ready, are His arms outstretched to draw you in. The Lord does His best work on broken vessels; invite Him in so He can get creative with you. The Lord only wants you to have all the goodies you need to live an abundant life. Jesus told the Pharisees that He didn’t come to call the righteous, but sinners like you and me (Luke 5:32). Heaven rejoices over one sinner who comes to repentance so Papa can re-create them into a new being (Luke 15:7). God exemplifies this in the story of the lost son (Luke 15:20). God is calling us back; back to surrender and abandonment, so He can accomplish His perfect will in us. God’s Kairo time differs from our Chrono time, so take the pressure off yourself and let Papa graft you into His timing and purposes. He says His thoughts and ways are way higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8)! Can you surrender to this call and let Papa ease the pressure placed on you? Will you lay it all down and return to a place where you can truly be yourself and be accepted and loved regardless? Receive God’s love for whatever season you are in, and let Him wash you anew.

May you be filled with the Fullness of God and the Power of His Love!