How's your picture?

Recently on AOL, they had a story in which the title was “Something’s off with this picture”. The purpose of the article was to bring to light the misrepresentation that magazines and other media outlets use when taking Photoshop to make the cover models have that “perfect look”. In this, Photoshop is used to hide blemishes, lighten skin, or even hide that extra love handle that is not so flattering.

Although we don’t have photoshop to hide our blemishes, how many of us are used to hiding the ugly parts of us from others? We can enter our workplace or churches with kind words and a willingness to help, but then when we enter our homes we bark orders at our children and may have an attitude when our spouses want us to do something. To others we are saints, but to those in our house we are walking terrors.

In Christ, to be perfect is to be mature in Christ. We don’t have to portray ourselves as always having everything together, as never making mistakes, or as always being that good and faithful steward. None of us will ALWAYS do anything. We will fall short, but when we are perfect, or mature, in Christ we have a willingness to go to God to repent; we have a willingness to reconcile with others; we have a willingness to admit we make mistakes.

When we are in Christ, we don’t need a photoshop to clean up anything because the blood of Christ which was shed for us cleansed us all.

"You, therefore, must be perfect [growing into complete maturity of godliness in mind and character, having reached the proper height of virtue and integrity], as your heavenly Father is perfect." Matthew 5: 48 Amplified Bible