My Devotional: Aiming for perfection

Aiming for Perfection

Liz Omondi | Email: timestodayke@gmail.com | image courtesy: marliescohen.com

11 Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice, mend your ways, be comforted, be like-minded, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. 2 Corinthians 13:11 (NASB)

Minutes after clicking send, I reviewed the content of what I had sent and realised there was a mistake on the document. I could not retrieve the document, it was gone. It had reached the targeted audience. But I was so annoyed with myself.

I asked myself the question, ‘why didn’t I see this error before clicking send?’ What could I do to correct the error? By God’s grace, I was able to go back to the document, make the edits and update the amended document. Thankfully there was a way. And this gave me huge relief.

This was not the first time I have made a mistake on a document and bit myself to it and felt completely depressed and helpless that there was nothing I could do to correct the anomaly. However, this time round, I learnt that I could actually make amends and it would be reflected on the recipients end in real time.

After reading and studying Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians, I realise that he has been counselling the Corinthians, giving them advice on several issues they were facing including being yoked with unbelievers, giving and warnings about false apostles. He was helping them correct mistakes they were making as young a church that he had planted.

The tone of Paul’s letter may have seemed harsh to the church at Corinth and he even defends his authority saying,

“By the meekness and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you - I, Paul, who am ‘timid’ when face to face with you, but ‘bold’ when away! I beg you that when I come I may not have to be as bold as I expect to be toward some people who think that we live by the standards of this world.” 2 Corinthians 10:1-2 NIV

Paul finally concludes this second letter by advising the Corinthians to aim for perfection as a church in how they run their affairs. He says, “Finally, brothers, good-by. Aim for perfection, listen to my appeal, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.” 2 Corinthians 13:11 NIV

Other versions render the same passage as follows:

11 Finally, brethren, farewell. Become complete. Be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. (NKJV)

11 Dear brothers and sisters,[c] I close my letter with these last words: Be joyful. Grow to maturity. Encourage each other. Live in harmony and peace. Then the God of love and peace will be with you. (NLT)

11 Now, brothers and sisters, be filled with joy. Try to make everything right, and do what I have asked you to do. Agree with each other, and live in peace. Then the God of love and peace will be with you.

I began by talking about a mistake I realised I had made to a document that I had sent electronically. The first time I made a similar mistake, I was totally depressed thinking I could not make amends. I felt that my reputation was on the line. However, with time, I learnt that I could actually amend a document that has already been published and thus I became wiser. I try my best not to make such mistakes again, even though they could happen.

As we journey in this world as Christians, we ought to aim perfection in every area of our lives. When we do a self audit, as Paul advises us in 2 Corinthians 13:5 “Look closely at yourselves. Test yourselves to see if you are living in the faith,” we should also make amends where we have fallen, with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us and helps us become maturer.