Who is Perfect?

                                    
"Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God." — Revelation 3:2

Beginning of the week often comes with the pressure of a "fresh start." We look at the clean slate of a new week and feel the weight of expectation—the need to be the perfect employee, the perfect parent, or the perfect Christian.

But the message to the church in Sardis offers a startling perspective on perfection. It isn't about a flawless record; it’s about completion and spiritual alertness.

The church in Sardis had a great reputation. To an outsider, they looked like a thriving, "perfect" congregation. But Jesus looked past the brand and the busy schedules to see the heart. He found that while they had a name for being alive, they were actually dying.

Likewise, often, we strive for a "perfect" image while our inner life—our prayer, our integrity, our peace—is gasping for air. We are so busy maintaining the look of life that we forget to actually live in the Spirit.

In the original Greek, when Jesus says He found their deeds "unfinished" (or "not perfect"), the word used is "pepleromena". It refers to a vessel that hasn't been filled to the brim.

Who is perfect? In this context, perfection isn't the absence of mistakes; it is wholeness. It’s finishing what God started in you. It’s not abandoning the mission when it gets boring or difficult. It’s ensuring your private devotion matches your public profession.

The disciples went back to fishing because they thought the "project" of Jesus was finished at the cross. They were wrong. Jesus came to show them that the most important work—the spiritual harvest—was just beginning.

The beauty of Revelation 3:2 is that it is a message of hope. Jesus doesn't say, "It’s over, give up." He says, "Strengthen what remains."

Even if you feel like only 10% of your faith is still flickering, God can work with that 10%. He doesn't demand that you start from scratch with a perfect track record; He asks you to wake up and tend to the embers that are still glowing.

As you head into your week, stop asking, "How can I be flawless?" Instead, ask:

"What have I left unfinished?" Is there a conversation, a discipline, or a calling you’ve let slide into "survival mode"?

"Am I awake?" Are you moving through your tasks on autopilot, or are you alert to where God is moving in your workplace and home?

The Bottom Line: God isn't looking for people who never fail; He’s looking for people who refuse to stay asleep. Be "perfect" today by being fully present and fully His.