Artistic Perfection of the God-Kind

How often are we in awe of perfection? How much more are we disappointed in a lack of perfection - especially in something we hoped would be perfect?

As humans, we desire and aim for perfection - the perfect job, the perfect house, the perfect day, the perfect person. Yet, despite all our efforts and struggles, perfection is something we see and perform in finite moments. After all, human nature is itself imperfect. No matter how hard we strive for perfection, we rarely attain it.

Those of you who are artists will understand the creative tension for perfection. Musicians spend literally hours upon hours practicing a piece of music. The notes must all be played in cadence and rhythm, while the chords, pauses, and emotional balance swirl together to create syphonic sounds of beauty and perfection. Actors rehearse for weeks on end to nail their performance on stage with precision. Dialogue, actions, and facial expressions must all be practiced to deliver a perfect presentation. Writers (of which group I most closely identify) may sketch out dozens of drafts before creating that perfect sentence or story. Every word is tenderly and skillfully chosen to create the perfect vehicle for conveying a message. But even when we execute our art perfectly, we still find areas of fault and criticism.

No matter how hard we try, we still fall short of perfection.

Perfection is something only a Perfect Being can achieve.

While I was reading my Bible this morning, something caught my attention: the perfection of God's ability to perform. Whatever He promised, whatever He said He would do, He does...it's part of His character as a Faithful Father and Friend. But there's something even more than His ability to follow through on something...and that is His perfection. He's not just a person of His Word, but He is also the Perfect Performer. In His delivery, His action, His creation, His timing, His beauty...He is perfect. And when He says He'll do something for us, He does it in the most perfect way possible.

He is the Perfect Author of our life story.

As a writer, I understand and relate to words and stories. Composing any written piece is a delicate procedure of creating the perfect sentence, the perfect plot, the perfect flawed characters, and the perfect retelling of process and journey. As a reader, I appreciate well-written stories that keep me turning pages until the gray hours of early morning. There's nothing more satisfying to the heart of a writer than capturing words of elegant description and purpose on a blank page. Nothing compares to the reader's imagination than the thrill of reading a captivating story with an unexpected ending. The relation between writer and reader is one of satisfaction and fulfillment. The writer creates for the purpose of delivery; the reader absorbs the story for learning and pleasure.

At this very moment, the Perfect Author is crafting our story. He knows where to take us in our journey, He knows what lessons need to be learned to mature us, and He knows what other characters are involved in the process. He saw the battles in our future and gave us the equipment needed to fight them. He knows the steps we should take, for He already had them mapped out ahead of time. He knows the right people to connect us with, and He knows the wrong people who will deter us from our purpose. He already wrote the plot. The climax He's already directed. The ending He crafted from the beginning. He is the perfect writer. Every word, every person, every step, every chapter...everything He wrote in our script was for the purpose of fulfilling our story.

We are the honored participants in this riveting saga. Our primary responsibility is to simply follow the Author's cues. We read, we listen, we receive, we digest... We walk through each day with the satisfaction and wonderment of knowing that something greater than our little plans are at work. We submit to the Author's purpose and walk out His script. The journey becomes a surprise to us, and we may find ourselves awake with anticipation in the middle of the night.

As the Perfect Author, God performs Perfectly. His stories for us include an array of the simple to the design of the miraculous. The pages of our lives are filled with quiet moments in His presence to supernatural events only He could orchestrate. His story is never boring, for His artwork is always perfect. There are no flaws in His story, no thoughtless dialogue, no side journeys without purpose. Every sentence, ever paragraph, every moment....He wrote in exquisite perfection.

Perfection is truly divine. Not disappointing in its effects, presentation, satisfaction, or precision, the perfection of our Father God's performance in our lives is absolutely perfect. Astounding us with its creative detail and clarity, His perfection leaves us in breathless wonder. Once we see it, taste it, hear it, and watch it unfold in our lives, we are forever transformed by this artistic perfection of the God-kind.