Luke 6:40 The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master.

A pilgrim on walk 1807 expressed his concern about not being perfect. I told him he was perfect today because he is exactly what Jesus needs him to be today. I did not get to explain that to him on the walk, so let this devotional be that talk.

Perfect here is the Greek word katartizo. According to Thayer’s Greek Lexicon it is defined as to render fit, sound, complete by two distinct methods. A: to mend that which was broken or rent. In our faith life that is being reconciled to God, the bridge that was broken has been re-established. B: to fit out, equip, put in order, arrange, adjust. This is restoration.

To place this into a visual framework that makes it easier to understand allow me to speak about a friend of mine and his 1958 Plymouth Fury, a car similar to the one staring in the Steven King movie Christine.

He bought the car and had it hauled into his garage. This is A: reconciliation. It is now his and under his roof. When I saw the car he had washed it and put new tires on her but the car was covered with rust, tail-lights were cracked,  and the exhaust system hanging down. “She’s perfect!” He said.

Perfection here is a condition of the opinion of the owner and no one else, not even the car. She didn’t have heavy rust, everything could be re-pair, re-build, replaced, and restored to its original design. This is B: restoration.

We tend to look at perfection as the finished product while God looks at His child (us) as being perfect like this car. It is perfect in every moment, not what it was, not what it will be but perfect in the love and adoration of God, no matter how we see ourselves. Because we are His.

You are what God needs you to be today.