It has been roughly two thousand years since our Lord came to us, defeating sin and death, providing an avenue for the salvation of every human.  It has been roughly one nano second since I have been challenged with thoughts of my sin and the difficulties in capturing/managing my thoughts and actions.  It has been roughly two hundred years since a group of people got together, defining a new nation that was supposed to be different than any historical republic in its ability to adhere to righteous principles defined by God.  It was roughly one week later that we began to influence and corrupt that foundation to conform to our own desires, morals and wishes.  Is there something for which close is not good enough?

I have roughly been a good Christian, in that I don’t cheat, steal or commit murder/adultery.  Just as roughly implies limited accuracy or precision, I have always come close to the mark or roughly became what I was supposed to become.  What is that missing statistic, that range of imperfection, that zone of incompleteness that keeps me from the bulls-eye?  The margin for error is where I reside in my unwillingness to surrender to the Lord Jesus Christ.  Six can never become seven.  It is representative of the “roughly” category in which man attempts to reach God through his own means.  I can never reach perfection.  Even if I were to maximize my gifts, talents, treasure, philanthropy and psychology it is a destination that will forever remain roughly unachievable.  Roughly the reason for my misery is that I have never fully accepted the necessity for surrender.

There are many things that I would be okay with just coming close; my job, my house, my car, my relationships, none of these require perfection.  I would be okay with a house that almost met all my needs or a car that had everything but was not the right color, but not so with my relationship to the Lord Jesus Christ.  To be with Him, I must surrender to His changing hand to become like Him.  And He is perfect, so becoming like Him requires that I give way to that perfect hand in His ability to conform me to His likeness.  I cannot achieve it.  I cannot stand being roughly, sort of or almost like Him.  The only path to reaching that goal is through surrendering to His hand.  Therefore my unwillingness to surrender is the “real enemy”.  Sure the voices of the Lord’s enemies will always seek to capitalize on my rebellion, assisting me in turning away from God’s Will, but it was me who displayed the disobedience at the outset.

Father I pray for an obedient heart.  I pray that you build in me a disgust for “roughly” achieving Your Will and Blessing.  Make in me a heart that refuses to accept any thing less than complete surrender to Your Perfection.  Deliver me from dependence upon anything but You, even when that foundation is my own strength.  Make of me Your Perfect creation so that You may delight in the Work of Your Hands.  Give to me a submissive spirit.  I love you and do not want to miss the mark.  Let my flight be true.  In Jesus’ Name.  Amen.