“Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. (1 John 4:17)
There is “the way we would like things to be” and “the way things should be.” But the world we face on a daily basis is neither of these. To live in either of these places is to live in anger and bitterness and infirmity. The world cannot change without God, and so, until God changes “the way things are” we must choose to be “as He is” in the world. He is perfect, and His call to us is: “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48)
Surrounded by imperfection, we have an opportunity for our love to be made perfect, and for us to be “strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness” (Colossians 1:11). When this imperfect life, filled with imperfect people, is over, and we stand before God, He will not enquire as to what was done to us; He will want to know what our response was. He will not accept any justification for our doing evil in response to evil done to us. The only issue on the table will be: “I was there. I was able. You could have been the way I am. Did you abide in Me?”
May we have confidence in that day through the testimony of a good conscience. May we have courage in this day, through who He is, to face things as they are.