“You, therefore, must be perfect (growing into complete maturity of godliness in mind and character, having reached the proper height of virtue and integrity), as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
We are commanded to be perfect, and what God commands, He gives a heart desire to attain. Yet, this desire to be perfect can cause a great deal of frustration.
Perfection is a process that is worked out in our lives as we go from one degree of glory to another. There are degrees of perfection. We can be almost perfect in one area, and very imperfect in others.
When we give our will to God, we have a perfect heart. But even at that point, we still have faults, weaknesses, bad habits, and imperfections.
The Lord accepts us as we are and counts us as perfect while we are on our way toward perfection.
If you have given your will to God, this is step one. You now have a perfect heart, and the process has begun.
You are not alone in your travel from glory to glory to glory. Paul said in Philippians 3:12-13 that he wanted to be perfect, but that he had not yet arrived. He pressed on to things ahead. He knew if his heart was set in the right direction (if he had a perfect heart), that was all God required.
Say This: “With God’s help, I will keep pressing toward perfection. I am growing in maturity, character, integrity, and godliness.”
Excerpt permission granted by Harrison House Publishers.
Joyce Meyer is one of the world's leading practical Bible teachers. A New York Times bestselling author, her books have helped millions of people find hope and restoration through Jesus Christ. Through Joyce Meyer Ministries, she teaches on a number of topics with a particular focus on the mind, mouth, moods and attitudes. Her candid communication style allows her to share openly and practically about her experiences so others can apply what she has learned to their lives.
Joyce hosts a TV and radio show, Enjoying Everyday Life, which broadcasts worldwide to a potential audience of 4.5 billion people. She has authored 100 books, which have been translated into more than 100 languages. More than 12 million of her books have been distributed free of charge around the world, and each year millions of copies are sold.
Joyce conducts close to a dozen domestic and international conferences every year, teaching people to enjoy their everyday lives. For 30 years, her annual women's conference has attracted more than 200,000 women from all over the world to St. Louis for specifically themed teachings by her and guest speakers.
Through her teachings, God has provided opportunities to meet the needs of the suffering and bring the Gospel in a practical way. Joyce's passion to help hurting people every day is foundational to the vision of Hand of Hope, the missions arm of Joyce Meyer Ministries. These outreaches around the globe include feeding programs, medical care, homes for orphans, and programs combatting human trafficking. In her hometown of St. Louis, Joyce and Dave, her husband, founded the St. Louis Dream Center (SLDC) in 2000. The SLDC serves the inner city through hands-on programs targeted at reaching the lost and hurting with the love of Christ.
Over the years, God has provided Joyce with many opportunities to share her testimony and the life-changing message of the Gospel. Having suffered sexual abuse throughout her childhood, as well as just dealing with the struggles of everyday life, Joyce discovered the freedom to live victoriously by applying God's Word to her life and in turn desires to help others do the same.
Joyce is and continues to be an incredible testimony of the dynamic, redeeming work of Jesus Christ.