Loving With Equality

     If you have suffered from a perfectionistic mindset, it has probably been your lot to take God's directive counsel in His Word, and misinterpret it. For example, in Matt.5:48, in most of the translations it says to "be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect." A perfectionistic mind would relish in that "command," and try (albeit unconsciously perhaps) to do it-Perfectly. And, they would fail time and time again. In many cases, the guilt that ensues will only serve to embolden one's flesh more, to try again, and to fail again. Because you see, a perfectionists standards cannot be met anyway. They are always raising the bar on themselves.
     But, that Scripture doesn't mean that anyway! In the Scriptures above that one, Jesus is talking about how God loves everyone the same, with equality. That is where the well-known verse of raining on the just, and the unjust comes in. He is telling us that we must be "perfect" (or complete) in loving them too, as He does. That is all. Not that it is easy to love everyone, but with the power of the Holy Spirit, we are enabled to do it, so that His love can touch them and so that He will be glorified.
     So, let go of the notion that He is telling us to be perfect. Even though that word is used, (my opinion is that it's used wrongly) and perhaps we've spent way too much time trying to do that, let's get on with loving completely all people whether they are good or bad.