Moving towards Perfection

Last week, we talked about the Promise and the Process.

The Promise, Process, Perfection, Procession, Provision, and the Peace… the 6 P’s explain God’s intentions towards us. The (Promise) God’s Promise to you; His work in our lives including suffering (Process); and what that work is producing (perfection). They also explain our destination (Procession), How God provides along the way (Provision); and our ultimate reconciliation (Peace).

Like Joseph, we have incredible Promises from God, and they are all true. However, we can’t have the Promises without the Process, and God’s Process includes suffering. If we misunderstand God’s Process, we will be discouraged when the Promise and the Process seem to be in contradiction.

In our text, Joseph received the Promise, and now he has entered God's Process.

Today we’re going to talk about Perfection, which is the goal of God’s Process in our lives. We know that God is “conforming us into the image of Christ,” but what does that actually look like? In the story of Joseph, we get an amazing example.

But first, I want to change your perspective on what Perfection is.

STRONGS "Perfection:" 5046 téleios (an adjective, derived from 5056 /télos, "consummated goal") – mature (consummated) from going through the necessary stages to reach the end-goal, i.e. developed into a consummating completion by fulfilling the necessary process (spiritual journey). See 5056 (telos).

Biblical perfection is not “doing everything right.” It has more to do with a mature character.

Biblical perfection means to have a mature character.

It means to be fully grown, developed into your final form, like a caterpillar becoming a butterfly.

Man's idea of Perfection brings stress, comparison, and disappointment.

"The letter kills" because the goal is behavior modification and success hinges on willpower.

God's idea of Perfection brings transformation, humility, and gratitude.

"The Spirit brings life" because the goal is heart transformation and success hinges on faith.

Perfect Penny -

In a charming little town, there lived a woman named Penny who was known by everyone as “Perfect Penny.” Penny had a reputation for always having everything just right—her home was spotless, her garden was immaculate, and her work was flawless. Penny prided herself on her ability to keep up this perfect image, but what people didn’t see was the immense pressure she put on herself to maintain it.

Penny’s day started at 5:00 AM sharp. She would wake up, make her bed with military precision, and then move on to her morning routine, which included a meticulously planned breakfast that had to look like it came out of a gourmet magazine. Even the eggs had to be the perfect shade of yellow, and her coffee had to have exactly the right amount of foam.

Her obsession with perfection didn’t stop at home. At work, Penny was known for never making a mistake. She would triple-check every email, presentation, and report before submitting them. If she found even the slightest error—a misplaced comma, an extra space—she would start over, no matter how much time it took.

But as time went on, Penny found herself increasingly frustrated and exhausted. The harder she tried to be perfect, the more impossible it became. She started to notice tiny flaws everywhere—in her work, in her appearance, even in her friendships. Every time she fell short of her self-imposed standards, she would feel a wave of anxiety and frustration wash over her.

One day, Penny was preparing for a big presentation at work. She had spent weeks perfecting it, making sure every slide was just right. On the day of the presentation, she was so nervous about making a mistake that she couldn’t even enjoy her success when it went off without a hitch. Instead, she spent the entire time thinking about what she could have done better.

That evening, Penny returned home utterly drained. As she sat down on her perfectly fluffed couch, she noticed a tiny speck of dust on the coffee table. Normally, she would have immediately cleaned it up, but this time, something snapped. She just stared at the speck of dust, feeling an overwhelming sense of defeat.

Penny realized that no matter how hard she tried, she could never achieve the level of perfection she was striving for. The constant pursuit of perfection had stolen her joy and left her feeling more imperfect than ever. In that moment, she understood that her need to be perfect was not only unrealistic but also unnecessary.

Let’s learn these principles of life from Joseph and watch how the process of suffering, betrayal, and false accusations are leading him towards a heart transformation.

1. The Story continues - Joseph finds himself in Egypt.

After the horrific betrayal of his brothers, Joseph goes to Egypt as part of a slave train.  He ends up being sold to a wealthy official in Egypt named Potiphar. Potiphar recognizes Joseph's excellence, and promotes him to overseer.

Genesis 39:5–6 NLT

5 From the day Joseph was put in charge of his master’s household and property, the Lord began to bless Potiphar’s household for Joseph’s sake. All his household affairs ran smoothly, and his crops and livestock flourished. 6 So Potiphar gave Joseph complete administrative responsibility over everything he owned. With Joseph there, he didn’t worry about a thing—except what kind of food to eat! Joseph was a very handsome and well-built young man,

After Joseph's promotion, Potiphar's wife takes notice of him, and tries to lure him into an affair.  Joseph adamantly refuses her advances many times. After one refusal, She frames Joseph out of spite, falsely claiming that he has assaulted her. Potiphar, in a rage, sends Joseph to prison for a crime he didn't commit. Have you ever been falsely accused?

Joseph's only crime, as with his brothers, is being good at what he does, and being highly favored by the leader of the household.

Joseph suffers, not for wrongdoing, but for virtue and effectiveness.

What is God doing?

Shouldn't Joseph be rewarded for his virtue, instead of being punished for it?

As discussed last week, God's Process often involves suffering. God promised to exalt Joseph and make him great, but adversity is the crucible in which his character is being forged into greatness.

God is creating a man who does what is good, not only when life smiles upon him, but also when life is unfair and brutal.

God is creating a Perfect man… a mature man.

Lamentations 3:25–33 NLT

25 The Lord is good to those who depend on him, to those who search for him. 26 So it is good to wait quietly for salvation from the Lord. 27 And it is good for people to submit at an early age to the yoke of his discipline: 28 Let them sit alone in silence beneath the Lord’s demands. 29 Let them lie face down in the dust, for there may be hope at last. 30 Let them turn the other cheek to those who strike them and accept the insults of their enemies. 31 For no one is abandoned by the Lord forever. 32 Though he brings grief, he also shows compassion because of the greatness of his unfailing love. 33 For he does not enjoy hurting people or causing them sorrow.

This is Joseph's consistent response to injustice, betrayal, and adversity.  He is patient. He does not blame God. He resigns himself to God's will, and commits himself into God's hands. He does not strive against his captors or his assailants. He "waits quietly for the salvation of the Lord."

He is being Perfected.

He is becoming a man of incredible resilience, humility, and faith.

One day, Joseph will have the power to treat others the way they have treated him. And we will see him miraculously forsake revenge in favor of radical grace and forgiveness.

That miraculous ability is being forged in these moments.

We can have a variety of responses to adversity, but

Our responses will generally fall into one of two categories.  Striving or Holy Resignation.

One is an immature response, and the other is a mature response.

Striving - bucking against God

Striving is when we buck against God's limitations in our lives with a heart of entitlement or offense.

This can look like complaining, blaming, running away, or reckless efforts to escape our circumstances. This comes from a fearful, agitated heart in a state of unbelief towards God. It comes from a need to control our circumstances.

Holy Resignation is a supernatural response, empowered by God. We see past the visible hardship with eyes of faith, and trust that God is "working all things together for good."

This response often feels impossible, especially in the face of injustice. But it comes from orienting our eyes on God and seeing Him as sovereign and good.

Holy Resignation is the byproduct of trust.

It is the byproduct of casting our cares upon God, because he cares for us (1 Peter 5:7). 1 Peter 5:7

1 Peter 5:7 NLT

7 Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.

It is the peace that surpasses understanding that comes from actively bringing our anxious petitions before God, and leaving them at His feet (Philippians 4:6,7).

Philippians 4:6–7 NLT

6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

This is one of the great disciplines of maturity, and if you've tried this, you understand how impossibly hard this feels. It's so hard when your thoughts are a whirlwind of discouragement, and your negative thoughts and feelings keep circling back, even when you address them over and over again with scripture.

My advice is to actively recognize that this is all part of the Process of your Perfection. The reps are not wasted. The failed attempts are not wasted. You are in Process. Don’t give up -- God is building into you the disciplines of maturity.

Say it out loud, even if you don't feel it. Rehearse the truth. Preach to your soul.

God is not punishing you, or abandoning you, or being cruel to you. God is forging you into the very image of Christ. God is Perfecting you, in the Biblical sense.

Do you believe that? I invite you to say in your heart, "I believe; Jesus help my unbelief."

think of a time in your life when you were wrestling against your own Striving to enter into Holy Resignation?

2. The Pattern Continues

In the next chapter, the same pattern begins again. Jacob is promoted by the jail keeper, and becomes the COO of the prison. Later on, Pharaoh sends two of his servants to prison, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker.

Both have vivid dreams, and Joseph interprets their dreams by the power of God. He prophesies that the Cupbearer will be released from prison and restored to his position in three days, but that the Baker will be executed by Pharaoh in three days.

Joseph pleads with the Cupbearer, who he knows is about to be restored to a position of influence, to remember him and to advocate for him to be released from prison, where he has been unjustly incarcerated.

Can it be that Joseph’s fortune is about to change? Is he close to the moment when the Lord will release him from his horrific fate?

The chapter ends with this chilling verse, after the Cupbearer is restored, and the Baker is hanged: Gen 40:23

Genesis 40:23 NLT

23 Pharaoh’s chief cup-bearer, however, forgot all about Joseph, never giving him another thought.

Have you ever felt like God is piling things on top of you to the crushing point? Has a series of unfortunate events caused you to question God’s goodness? Look at the track record of Joseph’s life so far:

Hated by his brothers,

Thrown into a pit, where he was screaming and pleading for his life.

Sold by his brothers to slave traders and kidnapped to Egypt.

Sold to an Egyptian official as a slave.

Falsely accused of sexual assault by the wife of that official.

Thrown into prison for a crime he didn’t commit.

Abandoned and forgotten by a man he helped in prison, who had the power to return the favor.

Maybe you are asking, What is the Lord doing? What is the Lord allowing? How can this possibly represent the actions of a just, compassionate God?

We have to learn that God’s way of doing things is different that our way of doing things. God values internal development of a person’s character, and will often use painful events that happen to us in this fallen world to grow us towards maturity.

Lamentations 3:31–33 NLT

31 For no one is abandoned by the Lord forever. 32 Though he brings grief, he also shows compassion because of the greatness of his unfailing love. 33 For he does not enjoy hurting people or causing them sorrow.

God’s desire is not to cause you problems or grief. His desire is to show His steadfast love to you. However, problems and grief are necessary for the forging of perfection.

God’s love is shown to us, not only by the lavish blessings that he pours out upon us, but also by the lengths he is willing to go to to transform our suffering into our Perfection. He does not afflict from his heart. His heart is ALWAYS a heart of love and compassion.

3. The path to perfection.

How can we possibly understand this? How can we understand God’s painful Process of Perfection as an act of His love?

Some of us are parents, and we desperately want to keep our children from suffering. The idea that God could love us, and allow us to suffer terrible things, can be very foreign to our concept of parental love.

I think this is the place where God becomes most foreign to us -- and it’s the place where we are most likely to misunderstand Him and stumble i our belief of Him.

I also believe this is more a matter of the heart than of the mind. We can perhaps understand, on a basic level, that God allows suffering as an act of love and investment in our transformation into the image of Christ.

But understanding is not acceptance. Understanding happens in the mind. Acceptance happens in the heart. I believe that it takes a miracle of faith to reach a place of Holy Resignation with God -- a real trust that He is perfect in all of His ways, and that his intention to Perfect us is worthy and loving.

I pray for you, and me, to be able to comprehend God's lovingkindness in the midst of the Process, and to accept God's goal of Perfection in your life. Here's a Biblical key to that doorway:

Hebrews 10:32–36 NLT

32 Think back on those early days when you first learned about Christ. Remember how you remained faithful even though it meant terrible suffering. 33 Sometimes you were exposed to public ridicule and were beaten, and sometimes you helped others who were suffering the same things. 34 You suffered along with those who were thrown into jail, and when all you owned was taken from you, you accepted it with joy. You knew there were better things waiting for you that will last forever. 35 So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! 36 Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised.

This passage says a lot.

First of all, the promise is possible, but more than that, its God’s will… not only that we endure hardship, but even joyfully accept the plundering of our property, almost as if it were something given to us by God.

How did they rejoice? They lived with the idea that they had something better… something abiding. What they had was God… their relationship with Him.

The more we can see, savor, esteem and value our eternal treasure in Jesus Christ, the more we will be able to maintain our joy in the losses of smaller things.

If you only have $10,000, then losing $1,000 will feel like a HUGE deal. If you have $10 million, then losing $1,000 will feel like losing a quarter. It would barely be worth noting. You’d be too busy rejoicing in the $10 million to be sad about the loss of the $1,000

So you see, our trouble is our ability to see, and properly value, the treasure that we have in Christ.

The problem isn't that my problems are too big. The problem is that my view of God is too small.

My heart can't see or feel Him as the gift that dwarfs all other gifts.

Holy Spirit, open our eyes and hearts to the infinite value of having God as our possession.

Perfection is a heart that has been softened by trials to see and accept God's infinite worth. This faith enables me to endure hardships with patience and even joy! God's goal is to pry our hearts from competing affections and invite our hearts to latch onto Him.

This is so much of what we see in Joseph, as God uses terrible circumstances to prepare an incredibly meek heart that is wholly Resigned to God. Joseph's heart will show forth God's radical love and forgiveness and patience in astounding ways.

Wrap Up

Are you suffering under the mighty hand of God today? Are things piling up in a way that causes you to say in your heart, “Really, God?!”

Take heart in Lam 3:31-33

Lamentations 3:31–33 NLT

31 For no one is abandoned by the Lord forever. 32 Though he brings grief, he also shows compassion because of the greatness of his unfailing love. 33 For he does not enjoy hurting people or causing them sorrow.

God takes no pleasure in your pain. He does not afflict from His heart. Your story is not a tragedy. It will seem like that sometimes -- just look at the life of Joseph so far! But that's not the end of your story.  Your story is a story of redemption. God's end is compassion and steadfast love. I know this is sometimes hard to believe. We would prefer to know the timeline. We would prefer to be in control. We would prefer to see the full roadmap to the outcome.

Even though He brings sorrow, He shows compassion because of His love.

We are blind and in pain, groping around in a world that seems engineered to maximize our suffering.

But He does not afflict from His heart, and His end is compassion.

Sometimes we are holding on by our fingertips, or not at all. The tears run down our faces, and we cry like David, "where are you Lord?"

But He does not afflict from His heart, and His end is compassion.

His end is compassion and steadfast love.

His end is compassion and steadfast love.

I wish there were another way, friends.

But that's only because I am a finite father, not an infinite father.  I cannot see the vast and eternal destiny that you are being shaped for. I am not as wonderful a Father as He is, who is jealous for your heart's healing, and who will stop at nothing to bring you to Perfection, for your resilient joy and for the glory of His great name.

And so I plead with your heart and mine to accept His gift, which is your life, exactly as it is, with all its ugliness and beauty, with all its painfulness and joy. God, heal our hearts to see and feel the riches of your love, that we may endure the Process with patience, and receive our inheritance of Perfection with supernatural  joy.

Let’s pray together.