“You must be made perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.” —Matthew 5:48

Some translations render Matthew 5:48 as “be perfect” as your heavenly Father is perfect. The 1970 New American Bible translation says “be made perfect.” This is an important distinction. Following Jesus is not a “do it yourself” endeavor. We cannot be perfect, no matter how hard we try. Following Jesus is truly a “Let it be done to me according to Your will” endeavor (see Lk 1:38).

It is the Father Who is engaged in the work of perfecting us. Our role is to fully cooperate with His work in us. If we try by our own efforts to be perfect, we sentence ourselves to a lifetime of repeated frustration. Rather than focusing on, “How am I doing?”, we instead ask, “Father, what do You want of me? Thy will be done” (see Mt 6:10).

Prayer:  Father, change anything in me that keeps me away from You. Do in me whatever You must in order to do through me whatever You will.

Promise:  “You are well acquainted with the favor shown you by our Lord Jesus Christ; how for your sake He made Himself poor though He was rich, so that you might become rich by His poverty.” —2 Cor 8:9