Witness of Perfection

Many teenagers believe they’re smarter than their parents. I guess it’s just common, natural, sinful humanity. When we get a little bit of knowledge, we believe it’s greater than those who have raised us. Well, it’s not that different in our relationship with God. We come to Him, often thinking we know better. We believe He’s slow, possibly neglectful, or (yikes) stupid, even thinking, “He might not be the best judge of MY wellbeing.” We may not verbally say, “God, You’re stupid!” but it can be seen in the attitude of our hearts.  Ooo, self-preservation is such a strong, rebellious root.

The Lord’s Perfection

Today I want to discuss quite the opposite train of thought. I want to celebrate the Lord’s perfecting and perfection. This is so completely different from my perfectionism. The Lord’s perfection is actually perfect. Maybe seeing this comes with age, or possibly wisdom stemming from the fear of God. Anyway, I’m seeing His perfect hand in many lives. Things play out over the span of time and it’s been my privilege to witness it. Truly, I love it!

Knowing the story line behind people’s lives, coupled with their current situations, floors me. To observe how the Father works circumstances together like weaving a tapestry, to watch events and situations with a God-given view let’s me see just how masterful He is. Individual happenings may disturb or make me fearful, but seen through His view, it can be beautiful. We tend to be so myopic that we can’t see the forest for the trees. But this is all an opportunity to build our faith and know Him.

Pain in Perfection

God, in His amazing Fatherhood, leads us into His own perfecting and, as I said, perfection. It may not seem like it in the moment, but reality reveals that He’s able to work all things out for the good of those who love Him. The problem in this is that He doesn’t always put as high a premium on painless living as I might.  The absence of pain is not His goal. His motivation has the end in mind, where mine is limited by the present moment’s comfort. Oh, comfort is such an unsatisfied mistress. Comfort and ease always demand complete satisfaction regardless of consequences, but our God reaps the greatest of rewards from all events.

The Lord is the grand orchestrator of all things. He moves about to bring forth His plans and goals. I am enamored at His craftsmanship to use circumstances and situations in our lives. And possibly the greatest thing is that He can intricately weave multiple lives, all in concert, to bring about the beauty of growth, freedom, and the increase of knowing Him. I wish I could share with you some of the details of what I’m witnessing, but for obvious reasons I can’t. I know as a third-party it’s a lot easier to get a bird’s eye view. It takes much more time and faith to see it in our own lives.

The Lord weaves together seemingly negative situations with seemingly positive circumstances in order to raise and shepherd His beloved children. I say “seemingly” because in truth, I really don’t know. If only we could live in the faith that our Abba Father really is quite different than our earthly role models. If we could release ourselves into His hands so He can guide and lead us. If we could just allow Him to define every situation in our lives by His own thoughts, rather than filtering them through our own opinions. But even in this, He will orchestrate the steps of those who love Him.

The Handiwork of Perfection

Well, in witnessing His handiwork, I’m seeing how I can stand in His definition concerning a circumstance and be used to minister to another. To plant our feet in the reality of His Fathering is a faith that can assist someone else to come through to see that Fathering. Because it’s so much easier to remain faithful when you’re not in the thick of it, we need the Spirit to walk us through. And as His servant, I can be used to stand to strengthen another’s walk. I certainly know people have done this for me! That unwavering vision that He is good, that He is God, and that He is currently doing a good work has incredible power.  Sometimes it is just the sanity we need to help us to the next day.

“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And My ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so My ways are higher than your ways and My thoughts higher than your thoughts.
Isaiah 55:8-9 NLT