Be Perfect! (Excuse Me?!)

Today I read the rest of Proverbs 22, all of 23, and half of 24; I read 2 Corinthians 13 finishing that book. My favorite verses are:

Proverbs 24:12 If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not; doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it? and he that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know it? and shall not he render to every man according to his works?

2 Corinthians 13:11 Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you.

We can’t fool God; He knows our heart, soul, and mind. He doesn’t just see our works, He knows what motivates them. Is it love or duty or guilt or an attempt to do as much as someone else is doing? God knows. And he also sees through our excuses—“Behold, we knew it not” is not going to cause God to let us off the hook. Ignorance is no excuse for failure to serve God; He says, “Be perfect”. We like to skip over that part or say, “I’m only human!” Certainly we cannot be perfect on our own, but we have the promise that God is with us. And HE IS PERFECT. Christians, God dwells within us; if we let Him live through us, we are perfect. Then we are able to “be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace”. Doesn’t it feel good to rest and let God move!