Being Perfect vs. Perfectionism

I had a deep conversation with a great friend of mine last night that brought up some of my own weaknesses. I myself can tend to be a perfectionist - which is frustrating. The world simply isn't perfect, and human beings aren't GOD - so there's no way that they could ever be "perfect". It's a no win situation.

Humanity in general is always striving to better itself. Some individuals strive towards perfection. And God's Word instructs that we be perfect. But the simple fact that we can't see things from every angle and our bodies aren't made up of an ageless material or shaped in cookie-cutter exactness stops our endeavor short. How can we achieve perfection, or perform perfectly when life stacks imperfection on top of us at every turn? Some people simply don't strive for perfection, because they know it is an impossible task. Others try to be perfect only in the areas that show to others, and leave the inner, hidden stuff alone. Why would God's Word instruct us to become perfect, if we are unable to do so? Jesus said "... you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect." in Matthew 5:48. And in the working towards perfection, is there a difference between becoming perfect and being a perfectionist? I think so. And the more I pray and study it, the more I understand the real and big difference.

By definition, a perfectionist is someone who has the inner drive to be displeased with anything that is not perfect or does not meet extremely high standards. Therefore, a perfectionist, is constantly unhappy with themselves, judges others who have not reached their level of perfection yet, gets extremely hurt and disappointed by people who make mistakes or who choose to do wrong when they are "supposed to be more perfect" than them, and seeks to control the things, people, or situations around them to conform them into a mold of perfection - getting agitated or stressed if things are not perfect. It's a character flaw and everybody's got character flaws. I'm not quite as bad as the general definition of a perfectionist describes. I admittingly control my stuff to a pretty strong degree - in a clean, organized, and displaying fashion. I feel most comfortable when I'm in a "perfect" environment. And I hold myself up to some pretty high standards... God's Word. However, it's been years since I've even given a second thought or judgment about how someone else chooses to live and act - and I HATE the idea of people controlling people, it makes my skin crawl. So, since perfectionism is a flaw, and being a spiritual perfectionist is being self-righteous (which is prideful and is both a very dangerous and deceptive attitude to have), we all need to continually weed that tendency out of who we are. God would probably be the only one Who could justly be a perfectionist, yet in many ways, He chooses not to be that way towards us.

When I think of the word "perfect" - I think of someone who makes no mistakes, is totally flawless, and excelling to the highest degree in all things; someone absolutely pure to the core. God falls into this category - and He alone! He is holy - which means, pure and set apart from unrighteousness. God's people are also called to be holy. But when God instructs us to be "perfect", the meaning of the word used is "to be finished, completed, to become fully mature; lacking nothing of moral or spiritual character". Now this definition seems a little more attainable. Being perfect is not another word for being flawless, or being infallible. Being right in God's Word means "to do well, to do good, to be fully good, to meet the Law's standards exactly". Only God is good, and we haven't the ability to be purely good at all times on our own. But through Jesus, we are viewed as a new creation... brand new creations that are righteous. And our growth process in Christ after we are born again, is lining up our behavior with who we are as a new creation. To God - our being perfect is the finished result of our conforming our thoughts, desires, words and actions to our new spiritual nature of being right in Christ. It has nothing to do with what we can acomplish or perform ourselves, only what we work with God to do inside us. It's about being unified in ourselves (and not divided or conflicted) so that we can display His beauty and holiness to others. God looks at our heart, and when we are in Christ, our Father sees us as completely innocent and righteous! He sees us as diamonds in the rough.

Since we all have junk and damage from our lives before we came to Christ, and continually from living in a corrupted world or from other believers who are infants in the Lord themselves, God gives us a growing process to refine us and mold us into the image of His Son. It's a work that He does in us, but only as we cooperate. It's called sanctification in the Bible, and it's a key aspect of our spiritual health and development. If we fight to keep the junk and damage, we will stay damaged, and trade God's awesome gifts for the junk. If we give up cooperating, we end up just as bad off, remaining distant so that our lack of faith in Him keeps Him from completing His work in us. We remain infants. It's work - like growing up naturally and going through school. But growing up to spiritual maturity is very possible - though, few believers actually think of it in those terms, nor actually achieve it. The vast majority are either on the "self-righteous" team, or on the "love the worldly ways and can get away with it because of grace" team. Both are wrong roads to take. The road in the middle (that will get us through the hard parts of school the quickest) is this:

• "... work out your salvation with reverence and serious earnestness; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure." Philippians 2:12-13

• "Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." James 1:2-4

• "...in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth." Ephesians 4:22-24

• "Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect." Romans 12:1-2

• "If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit." Galatians 5:7

• "He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness. All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness. Therefore, strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble, and make straight paths for your feet, so that the limb which is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed. Pursue peace with all people, and sanctification without which no one will see the Lord." Hebrews 12:10-14

• "...discipline yourself for the purpose of reverence and holiness; for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come...for it is for this we labor and strive..." I Timothy 4:7-10

• "Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude." Colossians 2:6-7

• "By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. The one who says, " I have come to know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps His Word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked." I John 2:3-6

God is calling us to be perfect - to be complete and reach maturity in Christ. It doesn't mean that we won't make mistakes, but it does mean that we will make fewer mistakes, and deal with each mistake well and humbly as they come, and we will even grow from them. I want God to have His perfect work in me grow fruit, and mold me into a more accurate image of His Son daily! If I allow Him, and endure with faith and love, He will take this diamond out of the rough and hold it up so others can see His glory! His glory - because in myself, I have no glory, I'm just a lump of coal no matter how hard I try to be more. It's all for displaying God's glory to the world, so that they can all know Him through Christ Jesus - the Son of Righteousness for all!