On another note, I read something interesting in my scripture study this morning. At the end of Matt. 5 (Sermon on the Mount) Christ says "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." I've heard this a million times. I understood that to mean to try not to sin. Don't make mistakes. Do your very best so that you are error-free. But I checked the footnote, and the Greek translation of the word which we get in English as "perfect" is: complete, finished, fully developed. That's quite different from the admonition I thought Christ was giving. In this instance, He's not asking us to be perfect at what we currently do (although that is certainly one of our goals), but is asking us to strive to be more than what we currently are. I've decided that I like this idea very much. God wants us to be well-rounded, to be always adding skills, seeking knowledge, stretching and branching out. We should be putting effort and energy not just into perfecting what we are but looking forward to a better, stronger, smarter, more compassionate and complete person. To be perfect doesn't just mean to be sin-free, but includes the charge to seek and acquire talents and skills that are good and right. If we believe that "by their fruits ye shall know them," (Matt 7:20) then we should be striving not just to bring forth delicious apples, but also beautiful grapes, and nutritious cherries, and peaches, and watermelons, and every other good fruit we can. How better to serve those around us than to be not just the best we can be, but also the most we can be? (Note to self - don't forget Mosiah 4:27 is also a commandment.)
Friday, February 26, 2010
His girl Friday
I never ended up exercising yesterday. Shame on me. So I'm planning a long walk this morning - first I will walk the kids to school (1.4 miles). Then (the big plan) down to the Post Office to mail a package and a certified letter, and on out to the IHC clinic for a weigh-in (1.3 miles). Then back to the school to pick up Katie (another 1.3), and head home by way of the library (1.6), for a grand total of just over 5 and a half miles. Yeah, baby! Actually I really love to walk, and as long as I keep the speed up so the heart rate stays up, it's great exercise. Tomorrow is a long run day, if I can fit it in. I really need to get up early and do it before the kids even get out of bed, but that's so hard. We'll see. ("We'll see" means probably not. Even my kids have figured that out.)
On another note, I read something interesting in my scripture study this morning. At the end of Matt. 5 (Sermon on the Mount) Christ says "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." I've heard this a million times. I understood that to mean to try not to sin. Don't make mistakes. Do your very best so that you are error-free. But I checked the footnote, and the Greek translation of the word which we get in English as "perfect" is: complete, finished, fully developed. That's quite different from the admonition I thought Christ was giving. In this instance, He's not asking us to be perfect at what we currently do (although that is certainly one of our goals), but is asking us to strive to be more than what we currently are. I've decided that I like this idea very much. God wants us to be well-rounded, to be always adding skills, seeking knowledge, stretching and branching out. We should be putting effort and energy not just into perfecting what we are but looking forward to a better, stronger, smarter, more compassionate and complete person. To be perfect doesn't just mean to be sin-free, but includes the charge to seek and acquire talents and skills that are good and right. If we believe that "by their fruits ye shall know them," (Matt 7:20) then we should be striving not just to bring forth delicious apples, but also beautiful grapes, and nutritious cherries, and peaches, and watermelons, and every other good fruit we can. How better to serve those around us than to be not just the best we can be, but also the most we can be? (Note to self - don't forget Mosiah 4:27 is also a commandment.)
On another note, I read something interesting in my scripture study this morning. At the end of Matt. 5 (Sermon on the Mount) Christ says "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." I've heard this a million times. I understood that to mean to try not to sin. Don't make mistakes. Do your very best so that you are error-free. But I checked the footnote, and the Greek translation of the word which we get in English as "perfect" is: complete, finished, fully developed. That's quite different from the admonition I thought Christ was giving. In this instance, He's not asking us to be perfect at what we currently do (although that is certainly one of our goals), but is asking us to strive to be more than what we currently are. I've decided that I like this idea very much. God wants us to be well-rounded, to be always adding skills, seeking knowledge, stretching and branching out. We should be putting effort and energy not just into perfecting what we are but looking forward to a better, stronger, smarter, more compassionate and complete person. To be perfect doesn't just mean to be sin-free, but includes the charge to seek and acquire talents and skills that are good and right. If we believe that "by their fruits ye shall know them," (Matt 7:20) then we should be striving not just to bring forth delicious apples, but also beautiful grapes, and nutritious cherries, and peaches, and watermelons, and every other good fruit we can. How better to serve those around us than to be not just the best we can be, but also the most we can be? (Note to self - don't forget Mosiah 4:27 is also a commandment.)
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment