Disclaimer: this post is a faith-based perspective on the pitfalls of pursuing perfection. This blog will feature both articles written to the general community and also articles targeted more specifically for the Christian community. If you have questions about any of these articles, please contact me through the button on the right-hand side.
So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. (1 Corinthians 10:31)
As a society as a whole, I believe we’ve taken a stand against perfectionism and recognise that there is no ideal standard. We recognise the impossibility of perfection. So we say, “you don’t need to be perfect, just be excellent and do your best.” 1 Corinthians 10:31 is often quoted as the Christian pursuit of excellence for the glory of God. In all that one does, do it well for the sake of the gospel and for God's glory. But what does this truly mean practically?
Often, in the execution of excellence, through our fallen bodies and minds, the concept of excellence becomes warped and we are still striving for perfection just with a different face. We say it’s not perfectionism, but aren’t we still trying to achieve perfection whether that’s work without error, a flawless delivery, or being able to anticipate anything that could go wrong before it does? And the further our efforts fall below that bar of “excellence”, the more we feel like a failure. We still have the mentality that if we make a mistake, then we were not excellent, we did not perform to our best and even worse, then, God was not glorified; as though God receives LESS glory, the further we are from perfection.
In a society that is so results focused and product-driven, the end is often how we gauge our “excellence.” Like the old adage, the end justifies the means. Did we get the numbers we were aiming for, did we get the praise we sought, did we meet expectations? If yes, then we were good enough, we were excellent, and if no, then we failed. Even in Christian ministries, we look at whether we had a good turn out for a certain event, how many answered the altar call or how many “felt transformed.” Consider for yourselves, what ruler you use to measure your excellence. Ironically, we get so caught up in what we’re doing (or failing to do) that we fail to grasp the fact that the end is what we have the least control over. We cannot control how people will react, what people will be impressed by, and especially in ministry, we cannot convict hearts, transform minds, empower change, or bring the gospel to life. The end result belongs SOLELY TO GOD.
Further to this point, what if we do succeed. Imagine with me, that whatever big project, ministry, or event WAS carried out in “excellence”. It was executed exactly as planned, your boss/pastor/parent/leader is happy, your peers are happy and you got the results you were looking for. Is God most glorified in this? Are you satisfied? If you’ve watched the recent ESPN/Netflix documentary on Michael Jordan, you’ll know that he won 6 NBA championships in 8 years, and wanted a 7th. Michael Jordan gave everything he had to give, got the results he wanted (by God’s grace some would say) and yet, it wasn’t enough! Why? If perfectionism is bad, and giving your best is supposed to be enough, why do we walk away feeling so empty? “I’m giving my best and it’s not enough;” this is one of the toughest truths of the human condition to come face to face with. That no matter how hard we try, no matter how much effort we put in, it will never be enough. Our efforts will ALWAYS fall short of God’s glory.
So you ask, if our pursuit is not perfection and excellence is no better, then what should I be pursuing? How do I do it “all to the glory of God?”
I struggled for weeks trying to answer that question. I was having difficulty landing on the practical application, answering the so-what or the how-to. And I finally understood that there’s no neat how-to. There is no tidy instruction manual because that would just be replacing one end result with another one! It would have just been another face for perfectionism and it would have continued to be a me-centered, results-focused answer. Jesus died on the cross, defeated sin and was resurrected so that we could be covered in his sacrifice, love, and gift. The gospel frees us so that we can just be: just be in His glory, be his son or daughter, be changed by His power, and be poured into by His grace. Our actions, our service, our plans thus, are an outflow and overflow of being in His presence. Ministry/work/[insert calling here] is not about serving to achieve XYZ, to accomplish 123, but serving because God serves, loving because God loves, working because God works. If you’re struggling to serve, love or work, it’s because you’re struggling to be poured into by God. We’ve become so accustomed to planning and thinking about results and the next step that we’ve lost sight of how to live in the now, hearts tuned to the Holy Spirit, ears perked and eyes opened. So how do you do it “all for the glory of God?” By allowing the Spirit to have free reign and for God to act and speak in you and through you. When we do this, we can walk away from our efforts, speaking as Luther spoke,
All I have done is to put forth, preach and write the Word of God, and apart from this I have done nothing. While I have been sleeping, or drinking Wittenberg beer with my friend Philip and with Amsdorf, it is the word that has done great things. . . I have done nothing; the word has done and achieved everything.
(Gerhard Ebeling, Luther: An Introduction to His Thought (Minneapolis: Fortress, 1970), 66–67.)
Yes, a part of us will say this is not enough. Our God-given spirit will always long for perfection and holiness; that which was in Eden, and that which has yet come in Christ’s return. The sin in us will likewise also say we’re not doing enough, we’re going to lose our spot in Heaven, or fall out of grace. But the answer is not to do more or be more. The answer is to receive more, more of the holiness and grace which God is already pouring out over us because Christ has done it all.
Read Matthew 6:25-34 (ESV) in light of this newfound call to purse excellence, substituting “food” and “clothing” with “success” and “hard-work” seeing God’s providence in all areas including physical, social, and emotional.
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will [say] or what you will [plan], nor about your body, what you will [do]. Is not life more than [success], and the body more than [hard-work]? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father [makes them successful]. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 28 And why are you anxious about [working hard]? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not [esteemed] like one of these. 30 But if God so [empowers] the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more [empower] you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we [say]?’ or ‘What [plans] shall we [make]?’ or ‘What shall we [do]?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.