In Bible studies, church, and in our fellowship, we are constantly told what not to do. This thinking is totally wrong, and here’s why.
I’ve been working for Nestle for several years. When I first started training, we had a gentlemen that taught us about spotting defective can seams. Spotting these defects was very important, as our product needed to meet the high standard of safety and quality. He brought out several cans, all with different types of defects and passed them around the group. Along with the cans, he passed around a questionnaire to each group where we were to answer what kind of defect we encountered. The orientation took several minutes, after which, our trainer did something that has affected me to this day.
”Ok, you remember all of those defects…now, I want you to forget EVERYTHING, and look at this can.”
It was perfect. Not a defect to be found.
”Don’t worry about remembering the defects, just remember what the perfect can looks like, and you’ll be fine.”
It’s a lesson that I’ve never forgotten, and have applied throughout many aspect of my life, including my Christian walk.
The problem with churches
While not all pastors do this, a great many like to emphasize the problems within society, which usually includes our culture, government, the entertainment industry, and so forth. In many houses of worship, you could pull a Christian out of a pew and ask them, “what’s wrong with this world,” and they would give you a sound byte lasting several minutes – a parroted sermon.
Most don’t talk about the power in the blood, and who we are as a new creation, but are content on focusing on the waves around us, so that we can keep from sinking.
This won’t do.
We need to rise above the waves, so we can walk above them, and knowing who we are in Christ Jesus is the only way to do that, not memorizing imperfections.
Instead of focusing on the defects, focus on the perfection – the “perfect can”, if you will.
Focusing on “the perfect can”
If you know the truth, you can spot a lie a mile away. This goes for our faith. Instead of focusing on the problems of our society and ourselves, we need to focus on the truth as found in the Bible. We need to fully embrace and walk in the knowledge of WHO WE NOW ARE THROUGH JESUS. Too much time has been spent on memorizing defects, and not enough time in meditating on the Word of God on the perfection of our Heavenly Father, and who we are as brothers and sisters in Christ.
Forget the defects, and focus on perfection.
