All these people earned a good reputation because of their faith, yet none of them received all that God had promised. For God had something better in mind for us, so that they would not reach perfection without us (Hebrews 11:39-40).
My dad—despite being 6 feet, 4 inches tall—was “Mr. Parallel Bars” on his high school gymnastics team, so instead of football and racing, we loved watching the Olympics together. Heading into the 1984 Summer Olympics, there was talk of Mary Lou Retton achieving a perfect 10. Dad’s opinion on the matter was wisdom that still echoes in my ears: “No one should get a 10, because no one can be perfect.” (Ignore, if you will, the fact that Mary Lou, indeed, was awarded two perfect 10s and became an enduring hero of American gymnastics.)
The idea of perfection is central to the letter to the Hebrews, and it echoes Dad’s opinion. Each entry in the “Hebrews Hall of Faith” starts with “By faith.” It was by faith that Moses led the people, by faith that Rahab survived, by faith that tortured believers held on through their hope of resurrection.
These heroes were not saved by their feats; they accomplished these feats by the gift of faith. But none of them had yet received the fullness of God’s promise. Even in their obedience and faithfulness, none of our heroes got a perfect 10. That remains for them to receive through Jesus, the only perfect one.
All of us strive. We crave a feat of accomplishment that will prove we have arrived. Maybe it’s a certain salary or title, or our children’s success. Maybe it’s in our church life. It can be lawn care, sports, sobriety, or even a video game you want to conquer. It’s not even just one thing, is it? We all have multiple ways we feel driven to perform, to go after that perfect 10.
But no one will ever “arrive” by striving. Even these heroes of faith did not. We will only reach perfection through Jesus, when all of God’s people are brought together in fulfillment of the promises.
Reflection:
- Where do you feel pressure in your life to score a perfect 10? How does that pressure feel?
- If you gave yourself permission to score a six in one or two areas this week, how would it free you? How would you use that freedom?
- The heroes in Hebrews 11 lived by faith, not by perfection. How can you walk by faith in one area where you’ve been striving to prove yourself?
- Who else in your life needs encouragement to stop striving and trust Jesus’ perfection instead? How will it influence them if you live like Jesus’ perfection covers you, instead of going for the perfect 10?
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, you are the only one who is truly perfect. Forgive me for the ways I chase after my own perfect 10, hoping it will make me feel complete. Teach me to rest in your promises and to trust that your perfection is enough. Help me live not by striving, but by faith in you. Amen.