Growth, Not Perfection

Military slogans abound. “Be all you can be”, “A few good men”, and others. And they are good in their intent. They just miss the mark of eternal significance. Ask yourself, “What is the goal of a slogan?” Isn’t it something to motivate you toward a defined end? There’s nothing wrong, in and of themselves, with slogans. But without eternal focus, it’s a case of the good getting in the way of the best.

Today’s thought

comes from a simple verse in John, “He must increase, but I must decrease” (3:30). Scripture tells us, “…be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matt.5:48). Positionally, because of Jesus’ death on our behalf, we already are perfect. But practically we won’t attain it in our earthly bodies. Paul tells us why, “For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh, for the willing [to do good] is present in me, but the doing of the good is not” (Rom. 7:18).

So, let’s call our title—Growth, Not Perfection—our slogan. And rather than adopt it for a specific length of time, e.g. our enlistment period, can we make it a life goal? If we look at today’s verse, it almost seems the antithesis of our slogan. On one hand, we are to grow. On the other we are to decrease. How’s that work? Remember, we march to a different drummer. We have a different standard than the world. Often the two standards are exact opposites. The world tells us to “go for the gusto.” The Bible tells us, “humility goes before honor” (Prov. 18:12). The world tells us “you have to look out for number one.” The Bible tells us, “…with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves” (Phil. 2:3).

I didn’t say

it was going to be easy. But then nothing that lasts into eternity is. All our lives we’ve been bombarded with the world’s ways, the world’s standards of right and wrong. How’s that working out for the world? Just take 2020 as our example. Hatred, lying, and self-promotion have had disastrous results all across our country.

As you consider how to apply our slogan and verse, I leave you with these encouraging words from Jesus shortly before His crucifixion, “…in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Are you growing or just marking time?