You reviewed the PowerPoint slides prepared by your team. They have improved. However, they are still room for improvement. Jim should have included the 5-year data without your reminder. Jane still left some extra spaces here and there in the text. Jeffrey has not grasped the concept of colour harmony. Joan’s grammar and vocabulary are still up to par. The presentation runtime is 5 seconds more than the planned 10 minutes. You will find a way to cut 5 seconds. You have requested the team to wear navy blue (#000080) for the meeting tomorrow. You will start the meeting at exactly 1000 and end it by 1045. You WILL close the deal there and then. There is NO room for deviations.
If that is the way you live your life, you are a perfectionist. You probably are as frustrated as you frustrate others. If you have ever been weighed down by perfectionism, you are not alone. Many people struggle with the feeling that we need to do everything right. Otherwise, we are not doing enough. Or worse, we are not good enough for God. Here’s the truth. God does not require us to be perfect. He just wants us to be obedient. He calls us to rest in his presence.
In 2 Cor 12:9, Paul said, ““My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” This is a beautiful reminder that God’s strength meets us exactly where we are. We do not have to be perfect to meet God. We are not subject to a flawless standard. He can meet us right in the middle of our struggles and imperfections.
What about Mt 5:48? “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Is that not a call for us to be perfect? Not really. When we read the Bible, we must remember a few principles. The Bible does not contradict itself. Also, context, context, and context.
The word “perfect” in Mt 5:48 is teleios, it means complete or mature. Looking at the particular sermon, Jesus was setting an even higher standard. No one is able to reach that standard by his own ability. Instead, we are all made complete / perfect / righteous by the sacrifice of the one with no sin (Heb 10:14, 2 Cor 5:21, and Phil 1:6).
As Christians, we are urged to do everything as if we are serving Christ. In other words, we are asked to do our very best. It does not, however, requires us to be perfect. To be perfect is a lofty goal no mere mortal can achieve.
Perfectionism can make us feel distant from God. This is because we think we have to be good enough and do good enough to deserve God’s grace. However, the beauty of God’s love is that it is given freely to those who seek him. We do not have to reach a spotless, sinless, everything is right tip top pristine condition for God to receive us. When we shift our focus from perfection to grace, we discover a new freedom to grow at the pace God set for us. We can grow without the pressure of perfection.
God is happy with every step we take and every move we make, big or small. Just keep moving closer to him. His love is not based on whether you sing every note correctly during worship (and you remember every word of the song), how many Bible verses you embed in your prayer, how many chapters of the Bible you read every day. (Please continue to sing your hearts out, pray like there’s no tomorrow, and read the Bible passionately.) His love is based on his unfailing love.
I normally do not include a prayer in the Weekend Encourager. I invite you to say this prayer.
Father, help me to let go of the need to be perfect and to rest in your grace instead. Remind me that your love is not something I earn but something I receive freely. Fill my heart with peace and joy in knowing I am enough in you, I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.
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