Excellence Versus Perfectionism
1 John 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we are fooling ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
Excellence is one thing, but perfectionism … that’s quite another. We all have that one perfectionist in our lives who irritates us, who drive us crazy … and yes, who many a time rolls over the top of us and causes us a great deal of pain.
Hi, I’m Berni Dymet and I’m a recovering perfectionist
They say that too much of a good thing can be a bad thing. One or two pieces of chocolate … all good. A whole block night after night … not so much.
And the same’s true with excellence. By all means, we should do the very best we can in every situation with the gifts, abilities, resources and time that we’ve been given. Absolutely! But there’s a line there somewhere, and when we step over it we begin operating in a spirit of perfectionism, rather than of excellence.
And that’s seriously ugly. I know! As I said, I used to be a perfectionist and just like a recovering alcoholic, I still need to be careful in this area of my life. So what’s the difference between excellence and perfectionism? Here it is
1 John 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we are fooling ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
When we start believing our own propaganda, when we live with the arrogant attitude that we can do no wrong – it’s those idiots out there who can’t live up to my high standards, they’re the problem – then we know that we’ve moved from excellence (good) into perfectionism (bad). Then we know that we’re damaging relationships with a stinking attitude of arrogance, that we self-justify in the name of godly excellence.
Let’s get a revelation here today. Perfectionism is excellence, blended with a not so healthy dose of arrogance and self-delusion. So …
If we say that we have no sin, we are fooling ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
That’s God’s Word. Fresh … for you … today.
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Maria Gancho da Silva
Dearest Berni, This message spoke volumes into my soul this morning, because I am a recovering perfectionist. Daily, I ...
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Dearest Berni,
This message spoke volumes into my soul this morning, because I am a recovering perfectionist. Daily, I have to remind myself that, ‘yes I can be excellent with the Word of our Lord, but He is the Perfector of our Faith’.
Blessings to you for your vulnerability and amazing love always.
Maria do Rosario