Jesus tells us in Matthew chapter 5, “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” Wow. Where do we begin?

It seems fair to say that no one would claim to be perfect, with the exception of Christ Himself. Maybe if you looked hard enough you could find someone who might say they are perfect, but saying that in and of itself is an indication of pride. So what are we supposed to do with Christ’s charge to “be perfect?”

My response to this question is not meant to be the correct answer, but simply what I have learned and experienced in my short time on Earth. Someone once told me that life is like a test of our souls. We have come here to learn, grow and one day will be tested to determine the rest of our eternity. While I believe much of this is true, I want to focus more on the aspect of becoming today. Why are we on Earth? What is the purpose of trying to be a good person? The answer is changing your mindset.

In Matthew chapter 18, Christ is asked by his followers “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” Jesus responds by bringing a child to them and saying, “Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.” Much can be discussed about this verse alone, but I would like to focus on that word “become” again.

Become is not a past tense word, it is present. This means to become something takes consistent, persistent work. In this verse Christ is inviting us to become as a little child, and ultimately asking us to be like Himself. There are so many attributes and qualities of Jesus that could be a topic of discussion, but let us focus on the bigger picture.

Becoming like Christ takes a lot of effort. It is not enough just to know about Jesus or deity, we must follow Them. By taking conscious steps to do what we believe to be right, we are slowly changing ourselves. Acting allows us to internally change ourselves to be the person we need to be. What we do to act can take many different forms, but I will suggest just a couple that have impacted me. First, prayer. Just about every faith tradition that I know of prays to deity in one form or another. Prayer is a simple thing, but we must take action in doing it to be changed by it.

The next is scripture study. Other faiths might call it holy text, but it is the same. Being spiritually taught and informed through scripture has allowed me to understand more of who I want to be. I feel a stronger connection to my higher power. And on a secular note, as George Santayana said, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” We can learn vital lessons from scripture without making the same mistakes.

The last thing that has allowed me to be positively changed is spiritual interaction with others. Some call this church, others a mosque, and some temples. And many times the greatest interactions we have with others are simply conversations. From my own experience of missionary service, I learned that sharing my own beliefs and listening to others helped me to more deeply understand my purpose on Earth. It grew my love for others. It helped me understand the importance of being changed.

To conclude, my wish to you is that you find a way to improve this week. It doesn’t even have to be related to spirituality. Find a way to be a better person and do it! I promise if you truly try, you will be positively changed. 

Marstan Wagner is from Rangely and is 20 years old. He loves to spend time outdoors hiking, fishing, hunting and playing sports.