My homespun definition of perfection is, “Completeness at stages.” A good example would be a carpenter building a table. There is the time of completion when putting together the rough materials; then come the sanding, staining, and the final shellacking. At each of these stages we would say to the professional, “That’s perfect.” Meaning, at that particular stage.
The Christian life is like this, we are all at various junctures in our lives at any given time. No one moves immediately from the first point to the last, without experiencing those in-between. Some, whom the “Master Builder” has moved to another stage, are in danger of looking back critically on those who are now where they were at one time. It would be wise to listen to the song that falls from the lips of these who are treading the path to the Celestial City; those following the more advanced saints. Part of the lyrics goes something like this: “He’s still working on me.” It is well for all of us to remember this.
Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away. ~Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
No comments:
Post a Comment