God described Job as perfect and upright. Job was not sinless. Perfect in this form means complete. He was a complete Christian who made a series of upright decisions. These decisions were not affected by circumstance. Job was faithful no matter how hard life became. He clearly wanted to please God.
As Christians, we have the same ability to please God. In Sunday School we learned about character traits such as courage, trust, kindness, and submission. We have learned that we need to have all of these and more as part of our character. An attribute like courage can be dangerous if you are not also humble. It is more evidence of God's perfect design for our lives.
It is also about effectiveness. When I think about being a complete Christian I think about a car "hitting on all cylinders". When a motor is working properly in all areas it simply performs better. The same is true with believers. When our character is complete our effectiveness for the cause of Christ is enhanced. We are of more value. We are also more likely to have the ear of lost people. When unsaved people see Christ-likeness not only in our words, but also in our actions and attitude, that is powerful. Just think of the influence of people in your life who have shown kindness and expected nothing in return. We just naturally respect people like this.
We have recently moved to a new area. I often think about the opportunities we may encounter. I think of all the new people we are likely to meet and possibly have a chance to influence and encourage. I can look back on so many positive examples in my past. People whose testimony made me want to live right. I hope to have the same impact on others. I think if we do not choose full character we limit our effectiveness. Life is about relationships. Relationships with family, friends, lost people, fellow believers, and God. Life is also about the decisions we make. May we live as Job and not let difficulties change our focus.
