Buying the Bicycle

I just spent the morning reading Believing Christ. Unfortunately, I didn't find the exact section I was looking for, but I did find some sections that teach the concept that I wanted to share. In the first chapter, Robinson talks about what he calls the Great Dilemma. It's basically that God wants us to be perfect, but none of us can reach that standard, at least, not within our lifetimes. Chapter two talks about the solution to that dilemma.

He shares a story about his young daughter, who desperately wanted a bicycle. They couldn't really afford a bike, so he said something vague about saving her pennies, and left it at that. Several weeks later, his daughter came to him and said that she had done what he had asked of her, and they went shopping for a bike. Eventually, they found the bike that was perfect for her. The only thing that wasn't perfect was the price. The bike cost about a hundred dollars. Her savings? Sixty-one cents. She was devastated. Seeing her despair, her dad made her a new deal: "You give me everything you've got, the whole sixty-one cents, and a hug and a kiss, and this bike is yours."

Like the girl, it's practically impossible for us to achieve perfection on our own. Sure, it's theoretically possible for us to keep all the commandments perfectly, just as it's theoretically possible for her to save up enough to buy the bike, but realistically? We need help. That's where the Savior comes in. He asks us to do our best, give Him the whole sixty-one cents, or however much or little we are able to do, and He'll pay the difference.

To be honest, we're nowhere near perfect, but that doesn't really matter. All that matters is that we try to do what God asks of us and that we make sure to trust God for the rest. He does want us to achieve perfection eventually, but in the meantime, He knows that we're only human. He loves us and He's willing to make up for our imperfections. And as far as I'm concerned, that's really good news.