We Are Not Expected To Be Perfect, But To Be Made Perfect

The spiritually zealous often labor to live sinless lives. They want to live for Christ alone and to completely reject their own wills in favor of Our Heavenly Father’s Will. It is commendable, but unrealistic. In fact, more than being unrealistic, it is a complete misunderstanding of what God expects from us.

Throughout history God has chosen the most unusual people, unusual by the world’s standards, to fulfill His wishes.

David became King of Israel and one of the most revered figures of the Bible. Yet, this is the same man who became criminally drunk with power. He slept with and impregnated a married woman (Bathsabee); then, after finding out about her pregnancy, he compounded his sin by sending her husband, Uriah, to “the front of the battle, where the fight is strongest: and leave ye him, that he may be wounded and die.” (2 Kings 11:15) All this so that he could have Bathsabee to himself.

St. Peter, “the Rock upon which I will build My Church”, three times denied knowing Christ when accused by others of being a disciple.

St. Paul, perhaps the best example of a strange choice by God, was originally Saul of Tarsus. Before his conversion Saul persecuted and killed Christians.


These men certainly appear to be a motley crew intimately familiar with sin—which is exactly what God expected and wanted.

Humility is a Catholic’s best friend. God wants people who are open to His mercy and to obeying His will. Sometimes it is those who sin most who recognize their weaknesses and are thus more open to God’s care.

In her book The Way of Divine Love, Sister Josefa Menendez makes it clear that during her near-daily visits from the Lord that it is her nothingness that appealed to Him. She quotes Him as follows:

“That soul may and will fall often again, but if she humbles herself, if she recognizes her nothingness, if she tries to repair her faults by little acts of generosity and love, if she confides and surrenders herself once more to my Heart . . . she gives Me more glory and can do more good to other souls, than if she had never fallen.” (p 199)

The same is said by the Lord to Sister Mary of the Holy Trinity:

“I love you because you are so, so wretched . . . I love you because you cannot do without me.” (The Spiritual Legacy of Sister Mary of the Holy Trinity, p 87)

It is when we recognize our weaknesses and our need for the Lord’s guidance that He is most with us. During these times our humility opens the door of our soul wide to allow Him entry. When confronted by their sins, the three biblical greats mentioned above displayed great humility:

The Lord sends the prophet Nathan to David to tell him a parable about a rich man, a poor man, and a ewe. The rich man must provide a feast for a visiting guest. Rather than kill one of the many sheep or goats he owns, he takes the only sheep owned by a poor man. The poor man is saddened since this ewe was raised as a member of the family. Outraged, David promises to punish the rich man, only to learn from Nathan that he is that rich man. David doesn’t offer excuses or attack Nathan. Instead he confesses, “I have sinned against the Lord.” (2Kings 12:12)

Following his third denial of Jesus, Peter hears the cock crow and remembers Jesus’ prediction of betrayal. Devastated, the apostle “wept bitterly“. (Matthew 26:75) Does the Lord abandon him? Hardly. He becomes the first Pope, the first Bishop of Rome. Moreover, in his later years Peter is given the strength by the Holy Spirit to erase his betrayal. Facing crucifixion Peter refuses to deny the Lord and instead embraces the same death as Christ. (Peter reportedly chooses to be crucified upside-down, believing he is not worthy to die in the same manner as the Lord)

Saul goes blind after seeing a vision of the Lord. His sight returns after being touched by Ananias. Saul is humbled and embraces Christ as his Lord. He changes his name to Paul and spreads Christ’s gospel further than any human in history—all while enduring physical attacks, imprisonments, and threats of death.

It is the Lord who makes us perfect through our willingness to be transformed. We can no more make ourselves perfect than a leopard can remove its spots. Let God be God and He will take care of the rest.



Donald Tremblay