Despite our many flaws, God's purpose is to bring us to perfection (Hebrews 6:1). Within God's purpose, Jesus Christ's life as a human being was ordained to perfect Him and leave us an example to follow. The author writes in Hebrews 2:10, "For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through suffering." Jesus was made perfect for His position as High Priest by the things He suffered.

The word "perfect" is the Greek verb teleioō (Strong's #5048), which means "to complete, to accomplish, to bring to full maturity." As the preincarnate Jesus Christ, the Word never suffered any form of weakness, never experienced temptation, fear, or hunger. He never experienced the needs of a human being. Thus, our Savior emptied Himself and came in the flesh (Philippians 2:5-8), so that He could relate to human beings in a way that He never could have before. Because He can understand human weaknesses, He is the perfect intercessor between God and man. He has been made perfect for His new role.

The Greek word underlying "captain" is archegos (Strong's #747), which means "one that takes the lead in anything and thus affords an example, a predecessor in a matter; a forerunner, pioneer, trailblazer." In Colossians 1:28, we read Paul's words, "Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus." Here, the adjective "perfect" is teleios (Strong's #5046), and it connotes "wanting nothing necessary to completeness."

We follow our Savior's lead, being perfected toward an end, a position under Him. A priest is a mediator between God and man. Hebrews 5:1-2 states that every high priest "can have compassion on those who are ignorant and going astray, since he himself is also subject to weakness." We are being trained for positions of kings and priests (see Revelation 5:10) under Jesus Christ. Although we will not be the High Priest, God is creating us perfect for our future roles under our High Priest. Like Him, we will truly be able to empathize with others' shortcomings.

The apostle Paul writes in Romans 8:28, "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." Notice the scope of this promise: "all things." God has the sovereignty and power to bring all good things to pass, but it can also include more negative things that can ultimately be turned to good ends. He can turn sorrow to joy and failure to wisdom and growth. With God in charge, the events of our lives—good and bad—work together like a symphony played by very different instruments sounding an array of diverse notes, but the result is beautiful music.

An online writer, Brian Weiner, asserts: "If you could erase all of the mistakes of your past, you'd also erase all of wisdom of your present. Remember the lesson, not the disappointment." It is commonly recognized that, when we make a mistake, the best thing we can do is use it as a learning tool. When we stumble, we should turn it into a positive to improve ourselves, absorb the lesson about what not to do, and make changes so it does not happen again. Next time, we will do better.

King Solomon followed very precise plans from God when he built the first Temple. I Kings 6:7 notes, "And the temple, when it was being built, was built with stone finished at the quarry, so that no hammer, or chisel, or any iron tool was heard in the temple while it was being built." The Temple's stones were quarried, shaped, and finished off-site, so when they came together, they fit together perfectly.

Likewise, God has precise plans for us. He has a place prepared, and He is preparing and finishing us "off-site" so that when the spiritual Temple is completed, we, too, will fit together perfectly.

Recall that in Kintsugi, when a dish is broken, it is not thrown away. It is repaired, and the refurbished item becomes something much more valuable. Brittanica.com comments, "The centuries-old practice is often used to mend treasured objects by beautifying the cracks, which serve as a visual record of the object's history."

In Psalm 147:3, the psalmist writes, "[God] heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds." The repairs in our vessels, our "cracks" filled with precious metals like gold, represent sins repented of and lessons learned. Like Christ, we are being made perfect for our positions as kings and priests under Him. By helping us overcome our own sins and weaknesses in this life, God is preparing us to help others overcome in the age to come.

There are many biblical examples of people whom God used despite, or perhaps because of, their weaknesses. Is anything too hard for Him? He told the apostle Paul in II Corinthians 12:9, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness." Like He knew Paul, God knows us individually. He knows our strengths and our weaknesses. He knows what we are capable of, and He has a position for us, for which we are being perfected.

Seven times in Revelation 2 and 3, God promises rewards to those in His church who overcome. To overcome means "to be victorious, to prevail." We cannot receive that victory if we continue to dwell on our past sins. As God says in Isaiah 43:18 (New International Version), "Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past."

In Philippians 3:13-14, the apostle Paul embellishes on this verse: "[O]ne thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus" (emphasis ours throughout). Earlier, he writes, "He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ" (Philippians 1:6). Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV) adds: "‘For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'"

The broken porcelain represents who we were. The golden repair to the cracks represents who we are now. We must keep moving forward, not dwelling on the past. Now is our time of judgment (I Peter 4:17). Our great God is making us into vessels of honor (II Timothy 2:20-21), and to the One who forgives and heals and inspires growth to salvation goes all the glory.

Yes, we make mistakes. We fall short. We get chipped. But if we allow God to do His handiwork of spiritual repair, we, too, will be perfect.