Improvement is the cadence of eternity.
A neighbor of mine, Mike, has a standard answer to the common question, “How are you?” His inevitable response is a cheery “Never better!”
This could sound a little disingenuous. What if the truth is that his health is poor or he feels discouraged? Could he really say “never better” and mean it? Is the answer an honest one if it’s the same answer he gives every time?
If I didn’t know something about Mike, I’d be tempted to conclude that he isn’t being straight forward. But I do know a few things about Mike, and I choose to take him at his word. I think that Mike’s “never better” response is genuine because he patterns his life after Christ’s. With Christ in our lives daily, we are indeed better, moment by moment. This moment’s “never better” is surpassed by the next, over and over until we attain perfection in Him.
In the Sermon on the Mount, the Savior commands, “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” (Matt 5:48) The King James version of the Bible has a footnote on “perfect” that provides clarity. It educates readers that the Greek word used in the original text means “complete, finished, fully developed.”
When I read the verse in this light, it becomes a beautiful promise. As we seek to follow Christ by obeying His word, giving to those in need, loving our enemies and doing good to those who hate us, we find ourselves on a path of progression. Continuing on this path will result, one day, in our becoming finished and fully developed disciples.
What a gift, to be finished. It’s hard for me to imagine what that version of me might look like. I believe that God knows who that daughter is. He can see that “fully developed” me, even when I’m being petty or judgmental, even when I’m not choosing Him in all things as I ought to be (my struggle with daily scripture reading, I’m looking at you). He knows that as I recommit (over and over) to the disciple’s path and take steps toward a higher way, I experience soul-stretching growth.
Each year, I pick a goal to work toward. The aim of my efforts varies year to year. Once, it was to hike a favorite trail a certain amount of times before year’s end. Last year, it was to write and send a thank you note each day to cultivate deep gratitude. This year, it’s daily scripture study, addressing my aforementioned challenge. While I choose each year’s goal thoughtfully to meet a need or fill a gap, I don’t know that the goal itself is really the point. The reality is, my soul is happier when I am improving. Is yours as well? I suspect so because I believe we are built for betterment.
One of my favorite hymns in the tradition of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints testifies of progression. “If You Could Hie to Kolob,” written by William W. Phelps and published in 1856, ponders God’s eternity: “The works of God continue/and worlds and lives abound;/Improvement and progression/Have one eternal round.”
Improvement is the cadence of eternity. This gives me such bright hope. I get to keep growing, step by step on the path, anticipating a pending perfection. My task and yours, the task of all who choose the disciple’s way, is to repent, change our hearts, and become like our Exemplar, Jesus Christ. It is His atoning sacrifice that makes our continual “never better” a vibrant reality, for which I am eternally grateful.
Invitation: How are you a different person today than you were 10 years ago? 5 years ago? How does Christ enable growth in your daily life? Consider writing down a specific instance in which the Savior has helped you to become better.
Photo by Brooke Cagle
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