Perfectionism in ministry

Most of us are passionate about doing a really good job in ministry. Few people take on a role in an evangelical church just to sit back and chill.

We have a God who is worthy of our all – a church where the call to one another rings loudly in our ears – and a world in desperate need of the gospel. There’s lots to do – and it’s important to do it well. But, for some of us, that desire to honour God to a high-standard tips over into perfectionism.

Perfectionism pursues

What does perfectionism look like? Our passion becomes a drivenness, our desire to labour well becomes an all-consuming pursuit of omnicompetence, and our keenness to avoid mistakes becomes a dangerous conviction that any errors are unacceptable. When we go down this route, our peace of mind disappears – we become exhausted by the relentless pressure to do everything and be everything we think we should be.

Sleep eludes as night-time post-mortems of the day occupy our minds. And, often, our relationships deteriorate as we expect the same exacting standards from others – and, when they don’t deliver, we have a tendency to crumble in despair or explode in frustration leaving them crushed, scared, disillusioned or resolved to walk away. Often perfectionism is rooted in deep pain – a worry that we are not loved, are at risk of being rejected, that God is displeased with us. But, whilst understandable, perfectionism in ministry is a deeply imperfect posture to hold.

Perfectionism forgets

The problem with perfectionism is that it is rooted in a skewed view of God’s call on our lives. It often only sees one side of the rounded invitations found in Scripture.

• Sanctification is positional and progressive. We are made perfect by Christ’s work on the cross – we are called to journey towards perfection – but our sanctification is progressive. We are still going to make mistakes. That’s why the Lord’s Prayer assumes we are going to need to ask for forgiveness regularly; that’s why Paul, in Ephesians 4, sets out the way a church can grow towards maturity; and that’s why we are called to keep on teaching one another, and forgiving one another.
• Fruitfulness is linked to our labour but even more so to our dependence. If we labourers are not to labour in vain, we need to remember that it is the Lord who builds the house (Ps.127v1) – it is the Lord who grows (1 Cor.3v7). Our work matters but nowhere near as much as His.
• Ministry is more about the how than the what. Without love, even the most brilliant sermon or insightful evangelistic strategy is a clanging cymbal (1 Cor. 13v1). Our call in ministry is to love, equip, encourage, show humility, think of others as better than ourselves, not relentlessly achieve.
• God’s love is conditional on Christ’s work not ours. God is not going to stop loving us because we make a mistake. We are secure – sealed by the Holy Spirit (Eph.1) – and that seal cannot be broken by our mess. We are safe.
• Perfection is future not present tense. Perfectionism quietly clings to an over-realised eschatology. It wants heaven on earth. It wants perfection now. But that is not God’s plan. Our Shepherd is leading us towards the victory feast (Ps.23) but we are not there yet, and we are not supposed to act as if we are.

Perfectionism grasps

Maybe the most dangerous aspect of perfectionism that might be present in the heart is its orientation towards our own reputation. We can pursue perfectionism for our own glory, not for God’s. We like the idea of being admired and of admiring ourselves when we do things well. Perfectionism is often for us, not for Him.

The perfect one brings hope

Thankfully, the one who is actually perfect, understands our pain. He knows the struggle. His grace does not run dry. We can come to Him for rest, for restoration, for hope. And we can learn to labour, in His strength, for His glory, with a passion for giving our best, without tipping over into a drivenness that destroys.