Be Ye Perfect

One of my favorite things to do in the whole wide world is climb to a place high above the earth and sit on a rock overhang looking out over God’s creation. I find that there is nothing more soul satisfying then being out in some beautiful place with the wind blowing in my face and the birds gliding on the air currents off in the distance. I enjoy this experience because I feel a profound sense of peace in a setting like this. The beauty, the quiet, and the realization that this is all God’s making satisfies my soul. To get a view like this I usually have to do a stiff climb. I become tired but it’s a good tired. I feel a sense of accomplishment at doing something worth while. There is also a comforting feel about the place - a feeling of surety. The mountain is very solid and is definitely not going anywhere. I know that if I put one foot in front of the other and not stray off of the trail I will reach the rock ledge with the great view. I know that if I continue on the path and take the proper turns I will reach my car again. I have confidence in my course and that enhances my sense of peace and satisfaction. To me there is nothing quite like sitting on a mountain watching the world turn.

This vision of climbing a mountain and overlooking the world is the closest I could get to understanding the statement - be perfect as our Father in heaven is perfect. How does one become perfect? No one currently on the planet is even remotely close to perfection. How can we approach a concept which is clearly outside of our immediate experience? Well I hope to tackle this concept with three ideas from The Urantia Book: peace through God-consciousness; right effort through perfection of personality motivation; and surety of direction through divinity of will (22.2). These three ideas come from this and various parts of the text and I hope that they will help you and I to a deeper understanding of one of the most challenging statements made to us – be ye perfect.

What does divinity of will mean? To me it means to be sure of myself. To be certain that my decisions, actions, thoughts, and motivations are in accord with the Father’s will. I visualize it as being certain of my path. Having it laid out in front of me and knowing that every time I take a step along it I am sure of planting my foot on solid ground. I believe this because even at this point in my existence I am being led to perfecting levels of God consciousness by the Supreme Being (11.4). Already I am assured that God has laid a sure path in front of me and I am already in the process of perfection. As imperfect as I am God is helping me along by participating in my life (1159.5). And the truly exciting aspect is that the road is not set in stone. It is not already scraped from the earth like a trail. The Urantia Book assures us that our walk with God has endless possibilities in front of us (1174.4). Divinity of will means linking our selves with the infinite will which opens us up to the adventure of infinity. Even at this moment the path is sure and the possibilities endless as we choose to strive to be perfect as God is perfect.

The next question concerns becoming perfectly motivated. Motivation is that which is prompting our actions. Seeking to be divinely motivated means that we need to be making an effort to seek God and to be like him. The Urantia Book teaches us that “creatures do not attain perfection by being passive” (1284.4) and “to reach maturity requires work” (1777.3). If we extend the road metaphor to these passages we realize that we have to push ourselves along the road to perfection – one painful and slow step at a time. The goal is worth the effort. The Corps of Finality contains mortals like us who have attained perfection within the limits of a created being (116.8). They traveled the road we are on and have triumphed. They have worked and been rewarded by being able to say that they truly know God. And this perfected group that we aspire to become is still moving down that road, still serving God and may become “the most effective universe administrators in all creation” (216.3). They have achieved “perfection of personality motivation” and that is what we are striving to achieve. As we put forth effort to become like God, our motives become more God-like.

With perfection, the book says, we achieve God consciousness. I think of this as achieving true peace in our hearts, our minds, and our souls. And though I truly enjoy the peace I feel on a mountain ledge I’m sure God consciousness beats the heck out of that. Seeking and doing God’s will is being willing to share the inner life with God (1221.3). It is possible for us to truly know God, through union with our Thought Adjusters (1221.8). Choosing to do God’s will can sound as if we are surrendering our own will – like the phrase “not my will but yours be done”. But we are not surrendering ourselves, we are consecrating and perfecting our will as we conform to the Father’s will (1221.7). We choose to be like God – we choose to be perfect. And it is in this hunt for perfection that we can become one with God. The finite being of God’s creation becoming one with the creator (1434.2). True and everlasting peace is what we are seeking. And those who seek shall truly find.

We are imperfect beings but we are perfecting beings. We are only dimly conscious of God but we will be fully conscious someday. We are traveling up the trail towards a place of peace, a place of beauty, a place of certainty. The trail is long and hard and even as we achieve our goals there are always more to achieve. Thus is the future for those of us who choose to be perfect even as our Father in Heaven is perfect.

God Bless You,

William Whitehead