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The Myth of Perfectionism.


The myth that perfectionism is what makes a church great.

One of the greatest dangers in the church today is those who believe that being perfect in everything they do and lead is a sign of a great church. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Now there are here two concepts that need to be looked at, being perfect and perfectionism. There is no perfect church, the pursuit of it is futile. The moment we as imperfect human beings enter a church then by our very presence it became imperfect. The other concept that of perfectionism is a psychological issue, if this contagion is allowed to permeate a church then it could lead to disaster. Perfectionism can bring both great creative feats and also huge destructive failures. The question I ask myself, is grace sacrificed by Christian leaders for the sake of perfectionism?

What are the dangers of perfectionism? There are a number but this is by no means an exhaustive list; for the perfectionist achievement and satisfaction is always temporary. Looking good and achieving will somehow make you feel happy and that others who see the high level of achievement and productivity will admire and value you. There is a feeling that if everything works on the outside and it has the appearance of being perfect then somehow this can translate into an inner peace. Perfectionism is results focused, intention is not enough, yet this can lead to the perfectionist judging themselves too harshly when things go wrong, leaving a feeling of failure. This leads to a person having low self esteem.

Debunking the myth.
 Just because you focus on details doesn't make you a perfectionist. A spirit of excellence is what is needed. Creative leaders who strive for excellence are not perfectionists because excellence is the natural motivation of leaders and those they lead. This and the focus on Jesus and his loving grace that makes an imperfect church great, not perfectionism.


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