Borrowed pieces
What I lack, Jesus Himself makes whole. Much to my disappointment, He doesn’t give me the missing pieces to keep, clearly labeled in numbered cellophane packaging with corresponding Lego directions.
We borrow the pieces, maybe forever, as Jesus makes us whole. I thought the wholeness of Jesus, the “teleios”, meant Jesus was giving me my missing pieces to complete my set, allowing me to operate completely self-sufficiently. But really, the wholeness of Jesus means allowing and depending on Jesus to come and continually provide the pieces that are lacking, the parts that may always be lacking for a lifetime.
“In my weakness you are strong” doesn’t mean that I am given all the puzzle pieces. Rather, being “in Christ” means continually depending on the promise that we can borrow our missing parts of the puzzle that will always be His. Our pride or humility determines what we think about that and how we respond. Personally, I would really like my own complete set, no continued dependence required.
If I can accept that borrowing those pieces means continually being dependent on Jesus to overcome the things I cannot, He promises that He will not leave me hanging. Jesus was named “God with Us” at birth, and He makes good on that name and His promise to “be with you until the very end of the age”. That is why the New Testament says “in Christ”, “through Christ” “by Him” so many times. That is why AB Simpson used “In Christ We Overcome” as the motto for the C&MA.
That is what sanctification is, that’s what Jesus meant when He said “I am the Vine and you are the branches”, “abide in me as I also abide in you”. Being “in Christ” is not just a mental posture, but a forever interconnectedness as He supplies what I lack.
People often talk about “God’s presence” but I recently realized my understanding of that presence was more like imagining when my parent would lovingly watch me at a tennis match. They were there for me with encouragement, but it was still all up to me to play well and win the match. They were not playing the game with me.
But now I am realizing the promise is not just for His loving presence to be next to me giving encouragement through hard times. Rather, “God with Us” means Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, is residing in us continually providing the missing pieces as I depend on Him. God’s presence is not just cheering me on through life, but actively supporting and sustaining me.
I am not performing for the presence of God, I am partnered with God’s presence.
The hyper-individualism of today makes us individualistic from others but even from God, feeling the pressure to own all of our pieces to perfectly perform rather than partner.
Matthew 5:48 says, “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” This verse always tripped me up. In Greek this verse is: ἔσεσθε οὖν ὑμεῖς τέλειοι ὡς ὁ πατὴρ ὑμῶν ὁ οὐράνιος τέλειός ἐστιν. The word for perfect is τέλειός or teleios.
The modern use of the word “perfect” is used most often to indicate flawlessness. But teleios does not indicate flawlessness. Merriam-Webster tells us that the origin of the English word perfect is from the latin word “perfectus”, which meant to be complete, to carry to completion. So, when the Bible translators chose a word for teleios, “perfect” properly conveyed the accurate meaning of wholeness or being complete at the time.
But these days, “perfect” has evolved to mean someone is without flaw, causing this verse to become a heavy burden.
Jesus does not command us to be flawless, He invites us to be whole.
Jesus invites us to walk with Him toward wholeness by abiding in His presence as He provides what we lack as we partner with Him.
I am working to make peace with the reality that there are lacking parts of me that I will always need to borrow from the strength of Christ as His love and strength make me complete.
