City Life Starter

Written by Megan Meier

The Word

“Be perfect, therefore, as your Heavenly Father is perfect.”

Matthew 5:48

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will”

Romans 12:2

“God became man to turn creatures into sons; not simply to produce better men of the old kind but to produce a new kind of man. It is not like teaching a horse to jump better and better but like turning a horse into a winged creature.”

C.S. Lewis Mere Christianity Book 4, ch 10

Exegesis

We are to be perfect, but there is no way we can do it on our own, it is only through Jesus that we can achieve perfection. We will still mess up because we are still human, Jesus is saying perfect godliness should be our goal. One of the purposes of that goal is to reflect God’s goodness while we are on earth and point others in His Direction. Another is to prepare us for Heaven when our transformation to perfection will be complete.

Application

C.S. Lewis’ winged horse reference reminded me of Twilight Sparkle from My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. At first, Twilight Sparkle didn’t care about making friends, but as the series progressed, she learned the importance of friendship and of using her gifts to help others, earning her wings and becoming a princess and a great leader.  

Think about your favorite book, TV series, or movie. The main character usually goes on a journey of growth, they are not the same at the end as they were at the beginning. They have become better people. Our lives are a journey of becoming who God made us to be. This starts internally, it takes a changed mindset to make a changed person.     

I don’t know where you are on your journey. I do know this: you have the potential to be more than who you currently are. Not just to become a better person today than you were yesterday, but to be transformed entirely into who God made you to be.

Prayer

Dearest Lord, thank You for my journey so far. Please help me to be more than who I currently am. Help me to change my mindset and transform into Your Perfect ideal so I can reflect You in this world and direct others to You. In Jesus’ Most Precious Name I pray, amen.