GOOD IS PERFECT
“And God saw everything that He had made, and behold, it was very good.” (Genesis 1:31)
Summary: When the Bible uses the word “perfect” it means “good.” And this is a more useful standard for us to employ.
What does it mean to be “perfect”? It sounds like it should be an objective concept: “completely free of flaws or defects…” But it has a lot of subjectivity to it: “…or as close to such a condition as possible.” Very few things are capable of absolute perfection. Most everything has a measure of tolerance. It might be pretty darn fine, but it’s still “within” an allowance of imperfection.
Which means that, for most of us, the idea of perfection is the rope we hang our souls with. “Perfection” means, just a little more. The quest for “perfection” means flaw-hunting ourselves, our lives, our loved ones.
“Heaven’s sakes! Is that a spot? Clean it up! We want the company impressed!” -Mrs. Potts, Beauty and the Beast.
And that’s where the human quest for perfectibility gets complicated and toxic: when we bring “heaven's sake” and “impressing the company” into it.
Now our inner bent toward self-improvement is measured by the response of others—how impressed (or disappointed) will they be with me. My definition of “perfect” becomes “at least as good as last time,” or “a little better than last time,” or “I can’t let them down!”
And our inner defect-detection can get blamed on God. After all, God is perfect and so we should be too. (Matt 5:48?) Or, God is worthy and so we should always strive for excellence. Or, the way this functions for most of us, God is watching, so we should stay busy, try harder, do better.
Think of the Tower of Babel—“Let’s make a name for ourselves”—or think of the Pharisees—“[you] practice your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them.”
We fall into this trap because anyone paying attention to their lives is disappointed with themselves. And we naturally project this disappointment onto others and onto the Ultimate Other, the LORD.
And then English translations of New Testament occasionally uses the word “perfect” to translate a Greek word that may or may not align with our ideas of “perfection.” (I think not.)
“You must be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Mat 5:48)
“Not that I… am already perfect, but I press on.” (Phil 3:12)
“Let steadfastness have its full effect that you may be perfect.” (Jam 1:4)
This really grabs us by the collar and belt and tosses us into the abyss of just a little more… not quite enough… I can do better.
Could you do better? Probably. Will you do better? Well. Let’s talk about “better.”
“And now that you don’t have to be perfect, you can be good.” -John Steinbeck, East of Eden
When the Bible uses the word “perfect”, it has a specific idea in mind. What is the “perfect” version of a human being, in God’s sight? Genesis 1 and the story of Creation is the context for the Bible’s understanding of “perfection.”
In other words, “perfection” in God’s sight is being “good.”
This is not the “goody-goody” of moralism—i.e. not doing bad things. This is the “good” of design—this made-thing functions as planned.
So God is not interested in any of us being “perfect.” God is interested in all of us being “good” for what He made us for.
And since it is He who made us, and we are His, we should let go of our quest for infinite, impossible, perfectibility. Instead, let us submit ourselves to His use.
God doesn’t need us to be “better.” He wants us to be useful.
You want you to be better. Your parents want you to be better. Your spouse… Your kids… Your boss… Your clients… Your pastor… all want you to be better.
God wants you to work well. He’s not interested in absolute flawlessness, but adequate functionality.
I read last week that the final words of the Buddha were, “strive continually.” Compare that with the final words of Christ on the cross: “It is finished.”
Human hubris invites us to imagine a better version of ourselves, nearly within our grasp, and so drives us towards that illusion. The honest truth of Scripture reveals the limitations in everything we are and the sinfulness that stains all we do. And so the truth invites us toward the finished work of Jesus, that we may rest therein.
And now that we don’t have to be perfect, we can be good.
Every time you come across the word “perfect” in Scripture, retranslate it as “good, ready, a mature and functioning version, able to operate as designed.”
As we head into a New Year, set aside the tips’n’tricks you’ll use to tweak yourself toward flawlessness. Instead, pick up this simple hope, this simple prayer: “Lord, thank You for Jesus. I am Yours. Please use me.”
How will the Lord use you this year? He will use you—you imperfect person you—and He will use you perfectly. And it will be very good.
Bonus: More “good”: “You’re gonna say, ‘good.’”
