When you hear the Scripture verse “You must be perfect, as your Heavenly Father is perfect” (Matt. 5:48) do you feel deflated? Do all your imperfections come to mind and make you feel as though you’re missing what God has called you to be? Maybe you look around and think, “If only I were more like him” or “She has what it takes to be a good Christian. I don’t.”
Father Matthew Spencer addressed this recently on St. Joseph’s Workshop and offered encouragement to those of us who are not yet perfect. He said:
“I think that’s the fear … If we are not qualified, if we have trouble with the talents we might need (like proclaiming the Gospel with an eloquent voice or sharing God’s love in a merciful way), if we struggle with those things, then it seems like we’re not going to be able to be His instruments.
I think a very important realization in the life of the Christian comes when we see that God doesn’t call the equipped, He doesn’t call you when you’re already ready, He equips the called. He doesn’t call the equipped, He equips the called.
Another way of saying it is: it’s not perfection He’s looking for from you in this present moment, eventually you will be perfected, eventually we are called to perfection, but in this moment don’t think that because you’re imperfect that you’re not going to be able to serve God.
It’s not perfection He’s looking for, it’s the ability to be perfected.
So how willing are you to be perfected? How willing are you to be equipped by God? Because so often we try to do it ourselves. I try to make things work out myself. The challenge is that it’s a risk to allow God to be the one in charge of my life. It’s a risk to let God be in control. It’s a risk to try to not be the one in charge, to be imperfect, and yet still be an instrument in the hands of God.”
St. Joseph’s Workshop with Fr. Matthew Spencer airs weekdays from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.
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