“Aim Small, Miss Small”: Going on to Perfection

A well-known saying from the movie The Patriot provides a valuable lesson on living true Christianity. How can we “aim small, miss small” in life?

In the movie The Patriot, Mel Gibson’s character gives his sons advice on shooting. He tells them to “aim small, miss small.” This is advice that Mel Gibson and Heath Ledger received from the technical adviser while working on the film and learning how to shoot a muzzle-loading rifle. Mel Gibson liked this short quip so much that he included it in the movie.

This is some advice that we can apply to our lives today. But what does it mean? For shooting, this means that if you aim only at the overall target and miss, you have missed the target. But if you aim at something smaller on the target (such as the bull’s-eye) and miss, you’ll likely still hit the target.

As Christians, we have a target we are trying to hit—perfection. That is our target and the standard we aim to reach. But we all fall short. Our aim on that target determines the outcome, whether we hit the target or not.

Missing the mark

The biggest obstacle to perfection is sin. The most common Greek word for “sin” in the New Testament is hamartia, which is defined as “no-share (‘no part of’); loss (forfeiture) because not hitting the target; sin (missing the mark).”

The idea is that when we sin, we miss the mark—we fail to hit the target of perfection. This is something every human being struggles with. Our goal is to be perfect. Christ stated in Matthew 5:48, “Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.” But when we miss that mark of perfection, it is because we are enticed and pulled away by the “passing pleasures of sin” (Hebrews 11:25).

A tightly focused aim

Our aim is a crucial part of the process of growing toward perfection. It is a matter of focus and what we are looking at. Aiming small means you direct your focus in a particular way. We have to zero in on the most important issues.

Our aim should be the example set by Jesus Christ. He is the ultimate example of perfection in action. His life was (and is) the standard and goal. We compare our life to Christ’s and examine how aligned we are with His example. We are to develop the mind of Christ (Philippians 2:5). We are to be imitators of Him (1 John 2:6).

Too broad a view leads us to focus on things that can distract us. Our focus needs to be precisely focused on Jesus Christ’s example of righteousness and obedience to God’s law.

3 steps to hit the target

Once we align our sights on Jesus Christ, we still have something to do. The Greek word hamartia is regularly used in ancient times of an archer missing the target. So let’s consider an archer releasing an arrow. How can we hit the target of perfection?

1. Stretch the bow

When you pull the arrow back, tension builds in the bow. The string is tight, and the energy builds up. When you release, that energy propels the arrow toward the target. Likewise, we have to put energy into changing our lives. Once we pull that arrow back, we need to be committed to shooting it. Christianity takes wholehearted energy and commitment.

2. Be steady and release

The archer must be steady and control the bow perfectly before releasing the arrow. Likewise, we have to be in control of our lives and actions. We can choose to put the arrow down and not fire toward the target. But when we decide to release that arrow, we need to be steady, focused and unwavering.

3. Follow through and be consistent

What do we do after we take action? We have to see how we did. If we were consistent, each arrow should have hit in the same general area. Minor changes can be made to get closer and closer to the bull’s-eye. Our lives should include continual self-examination—where are we succeeding? Where are we failing? How can we maintain and build on our success? How can we overcome our failures?

As we progress through life, we should be getting closer and closer to the bull’s-eye—the perfect example of Jesus Christ.

To learn more about the process of growing toward perfection, view David Johnson’s sermon “How Do You Get From Romans 8:7 to Philippians 2:5?”