Perfectionism
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Corinthians 5:17-21
We want perfect hair, perfect grades, perfect friends, perfect boyfriends, perfect clothes, perfect everything. We want things perfect. We expect perfection–all while knowing that we are not perfect. Of course, it’s one thing to know that you aren’t perfect and it’s another thing to admit it.
I enjoy sending Christmas Cards to our family and friends each year. My children have come to dread this. They don’t enjoy it when I take their picture and I understand why. I want the perfect picture. For me, it has to be better than the year before. I want them to look perfect, smile perfect, and stand perfect.
This, of course, doesn’t naturally happen so tears have been known to appear. Tears cause red eyes, which, I’m sure you will agree, do not make the perfect picture. I want them to be perfect – and that’s something they cannot be. I want others to think that I am perfect and that my family is perfect.
How easily I forget that Jesus is the only one who has ever lived a perfect life. He is both sinless and perfect in every way. We are not perfect. Sin has corrupted every part of our being.
In II Corinthians 5 Paul says, “For our sake, God made [Jesus] who knew no sin to be sin for us that we might be the righteousness of God.” We are declared to be perfect on the basis of Jesus’ work for us.
When we trust in Christ alone, God credits Christ’s perfect record to our account and gives us the gift of His Holy Spirit. By His grace, the Holy Spirit works in our hearts to conform us more and more into the perfect image of Christ.
God sees us as perfect because of the perfect work of His Son on our behalf. One day believers will be perfect, body and soul, in every way. That’s good news. It’s also good to know that God uses imperfect people to do amazing things.
Perfectionism is the belief that one can arrive at perfection here on earth.
Do you think you are perfect?
Do you think you have reached perfection in some area of your life?
Why do you expect others to be perfect?
Why do you want others to think that you are perfect?