Imperfection and God’s Perfect Plan
“Reflect upon the perfection of man’s creation, and that all these planes and states are folded up and hidden away within him. ‘Do you think yourself only a puny form, when within you the universe is folded?’” — Bahaullah
People are not perfect. But God is perfect, and God created us in His own image and likeness. This contradiction begs the question: What went wrong?
All religions apprehend the truth that human beings fall far short of our potential. We make mistakes; we “sin.” But we can change for the better. Our natural state is not to be in rebellion against the perfection of our Creator but to live in divine harmony and glory.
God gave humans free will to experiment with the path of pain. The story of Adam and Eve being cast out from the Garden of Eden after eating the Forbidden Fruit is an archetypal myth that tells the tale of how people choose to foresake the paradise of union with God’s will for a different will of their own — even if it leads to great suffering.
But the unpleasant situation of humanity — living in an imperfect world filled with imperfect people — is not wrong, but actually part of God’s perfect plan. For it is only by tasting of the bitter fruit of departure from heaven that we may ever gain the motivation to return to God by finding and creating heaven within ourselves. As Jesus said, “The kingdom of heaven is within you.” (Luke 17:21).
God has ordained this process for the maturing of human souls. We must want and choose what is good in order for it to be truly meaningful. And we come to do that by experiencing the bad and thus yearning for something better. Our current imperfect state is an essential part of our journey to Divine Perfection.
“‘Why do you call me good?’ Jesus answered. “No one is good — except God alone.” (Jesus of Nazareth, Mark 10:18)
“It is He Who hath created for you all things that are on earth; Moreover His design comprehended the heavens, for He gave order and perfection to the seven firmaments; and of all things He hath perfect knowledge.” (Quran 2:29)
THOUGHT: I will not expect myself or anyone else to be perfect, but at the same time I will recognize that God has created everything and everyone according to a perfect plan.
PRAYER: In the name of the Supreme, the Most Glorious! Help me to discover within myself and manifest my potential to perfect myself in Your divine image, in which I was originally created. Let me be humble in the process of growing into Your likeness, O God, for until I can see the face of God in the face of every person I meet, my journey is incomplete.
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