Perfection By Proxy

“When Jesus heard this, he said to him, ‘You still lack one thing. If you want to be perfect, go, sell…give…Then come, follow me.” Luke 18:22/Matthew 19:21

Some of the most miserable people I have ever known have been perfectionists. In some areas of my own life I have experienced the unreachable goal of perfectionism. I always come up short and experience a sense of defeat and deficiency over and over. In preparing a curriculum for a group of parents of troubled teens at our church I came upon some basic principles of what drives perfectionism. A basic principle of perfection is the fear of being discovered for less than who we are. The Bible supports that we cannot be perfect in the law of God for that position is only held by One but yet we try. Perfectionism is a prideful march to our own beat even though God’s Word clearly states that we will always lack something without the guidance of Christ.

‘Eternal life demands perfection. Someone has to be perfect. Either us or someone who stands in for us.’ Beth Moore. Being perfect is that unattainable reach that will become our god if we are not careful. It is only when we lay down our own efforts and pick up the work on the cross that gives us the freedom to believe in the One who is perfect.

What we lack in spirit will always stand between us and the heart of God. Our lack may be gratitude, servitude or any other lack of appropriate attitude. What we may perfect in one area will always cause a deficiency in another area. It is the ultimate juggling game that will never produce a winner.

The good news is that ‘What is impossible with men is possible with God.’ Luke 18:27. If we want to be perfect we must go (to our knees), sell(testimony to others), give (ourselves and agenda to God)….Then (and only then) we come to the realization that only through coming to and following Christ will we obtain perfection (eternal life).