Be perfect, therefore, as your Heavenly Father is perfect." - Mathew 5:48
My love and appreciation for this scriptural text was heightened and deepened as I watched the 2016 Olympics and the performance of especially the gymnasts. More so was I spiritually elated with each movement of Simone Biles. While to me, her other competitors were mindful of the bar that was underneath them, she was like a little bird that no matter how the wind blows stays on the power line and hangs in there.
Simone was so comfortable in her movements and her eyes were like that of a sparrow as they twitter from the tree. Then it came home forcefully to me -- this only comes through practice, constant practice. And so are we to be as Christians.
There is no reward for those who are up today and down tomorrow. The entire aim of the Olympics is to bring together every four years those in various fields of sporting competition, who have been constantly preparing through constancy of practice to, in many cases make the perfect score of 10. Then as I begin to ponder and reflect of the nation, the church, and institutions of higher learning and the overall deportment of us as a people, I can say without a shadow of a doubt that if we resolve to be better citizens, better parents, better workers, better disciples of Christ and stewards of the people, we can and must, as of today, begin to put into practice the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth.
Indeed we can let our good be better and our better best. Our heavenly Father wants us to be constant in the enrichment of our lives, morally, socially and spiritually. Jesus teaches us that we must render kindness both to body and soul. We must feed them but also pray for them.
While many will render good for good, we as children of God, must render good for evil and this will speak a nobler principle than most men act by. Others salute their brethren, and embrace those of their own party and opinion, but we must not so confine our respect.
Jesus does not want us to be disrespectful in words, deeds and actions and then blame it on freedom of speech. This will not bode well for us nor any other people. As my late father said, "Light is good, but too much will blind you." So it is with freedom. Amen.
It is the duty of Christians to desire, aim at and press towards perfection in grace and holiness. Paul said that he load shed daily those things that were a hindrance for life's spiritual race. We must study to conform ourselves to the example of our heavenly Father.
Surely more is to be expected from the followers of Christ than from others. Surely more will be found in them than in others. Let us beg of God to enable us to prove ourselves his children, for in his word he tells us as his children to humble ourselves, pray, seek his face, and turn from our wicked ways. Lord, help us today and for the rest of our lives, to govern ourselves accordingly.
o E-mail rubyanndarling@yahoo.com, Facebook Ruby Ann Darling or write to P.O. Box SS 19725 Nassau, Bahamas with your prayer requests, concerns and comments. God's blessings!
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