Should a Christian Be a Perfectionist?

You’re not a perfect person. 

Neither am I. 

And neither are the billions of other people living on this planet. If there is no such thing as a perfect person, why are many in our society so obsessed with the idea of achieving perfection?

In other words, why do so many of us struggle with perfectionism? 

What is perfectionism? 

The American Psychological Association defines perfectionism as “the tendency to demand of others or of oneself an extremely high or even flawless level of performance.” 

In other words, perfectionism is essentially holding oneself to an unrealistic and unattainable standard and is often accompanied by being overly critical and negative about oneself.  

Perfectionists tend to determine their self-worth almost entirely on the standard they have made for themselves, which leads to intense self-criticism and even depression when they fail to meet that standard. 

Should a Christian be a perfectionist? Does perfectionism align with God’s expectations outlined in the Bible? 

A biblical definition of perfection

The world’s view of perfection is both contradictory and discouraging. Most of us acknowledge that no one is capable of perfection—even as we simultaneously place that expectation on ourselves and others. Often, those who do this tend to become disheartened and discouraged when they fail.  

Is there a better approach? 

The Bible may not comment specifically on perfectionism itself, but it does use the word perfect in many places.

Christians pursuing perfection understand that the journey begins with acknowledging their imperfections and learning to rely on God rather than their own strength. Matthew 5:48 is one of the Bible’s clearest verses on the subject. It contains one of the most straightforward directives regarding perfection: “Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.” 

This verse may sound a bit counterintuitive at first. After all, didn’t we just say that it’s impossible for anyone to be perfect? To properly understand the meaning of this verse, we must take a closer look at the word in this context. 

In Matthew 5:48, the Greek word translated “perfect” is teleios. According to Strong’s, teleios refers to the maturity that results from going through the necessary stages to reach an end goal. It conveys a sense of completion and the idea of being whole. According to another source, it is “the ancient Greek term for an end, fulfilment, completion, goal or aim” (The Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy). 

Notice that Matthew 5:48 says you shall be perfect. It doesn’t say we are perfect, or that we will immediately reach perfection. In fact, the opposite is true. Teleios implies there is a process through which one eventually becomes mature and complete. 

As author Richard Winter explains in his book Perfecting Ourselves to Death, “The tense of the verb [teleios] is future indicative, implying that this is our goal” (2005, p. 131, emphasis original). 

Teleios in the Bible 

There are several other verses in the New Testament that also use the word teleios and convey the same idea: 

• “If you want to be perfect” (Matthew 19:21).
• “That you may be perfect and complete” (James 1:4).
• “That we may present every man perfect” (Colossians 1:28).
• “That you may stand perfect and complete” (Colossians 4:12).

Though perfection should be our goal and aim, nobody will achieve this level of perfection in this life. But should that reality lead us to discouragement and frustration—or is there another way to respond to this reality? 

Richard Winter explains, “As we see the goal more clearly, we realize our enormous dependence on God for his help. There is no way we can reach this level of maturity (perfection) on our own . . . Thankfully, that is just where God wants us to begin—with the realization of our weaknesses and our need of his grace and strength” (Perfecting Ourselves to Death, pp. 131-132). 

Perfectionists often rely on their own efforts to achieve their idea of perfection. However, Christians pursuing perfection understand that the journey begins with acknowledging their imperfections and learning to rely on God rather than their own strength.

How do we become perfect? 

Perfection is a process, but what does this process look like? How do we get started? 

It is certainly admirable to dedicate time and effort to improving our skills, doing better at our jobs, raising our grades, etc.

However, becoming overly fixated on perfection in these physical areas can become distracting and discouraging. 

God’s focus is on perfecting what matters most—our character—and following His example is how we do that.

Important aspects of God’s character

Let’s examine a few of God’s character traits that we should imitate on our journey toward perfection. 

1. Love 

John tells us that God is love (1 John 4:16) and that He directs His love toward us, His creation. This is the kind of love that God expects us to show to others and to Him. (For a deeper study on this topic, read “God Is Love.”)

2. Faith

God’s unwavering commitment to fulfilling His promises enables us to have faith in Him. “But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one” (2 Thessalonians 3:3). Because He is faithful to us, His way and His plan, we can be faithful to Him. (To learn more, read our article “Fruit of the Spirit: Faithfulness.”)

3. Holiness 

Peter wrote, “As He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I am holy’” (1 Peter 1:15-16). When He sets us apart as holy, He expects us to uphold the standards of holiness that make Him holy. (To learn more about this important verse, read our article “Be Holy, for I Am Holy.”)

4. Justice 

We can take comfort in the knowledge that God is completely righteous and just (Psalm 89:14; Deuteronomy 32:4). We can also look to His example and strive to be just and blameless in all our interactions with others (Micah 6:8). 

5. Mercy 

Micah 6:8 also tells us to love mercy. In doing so, we emulate our Father, whose paths are mercy and truth (Psalm 25:10). Our Knowing God Bible Journey contains a very informative section called “God the Merciful,” which focuses on this aspect of God’s character. 

6. Honesty 

God is so honest and transparent that it is actually impossible for Him to lie (Titus 1:2). There is no malice or dishonesty in God’s character, ever. (To learn more about the importance God places on honesty, read “God Cannot Lie. Why Do People Lie?”)

7. Wisdom

Romans 11:33 proclaims God’s wisdom boldly: “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!” Who wouldn’t want to acquire this type of wisdom? (To take a deeper look into how to grow in godly wisdom, read our article “The Importance of Wisdom and How to Become Wiser.”)

God models a very high standard, and this list of traits can seem intimidating (especially to a perfectionist). But God is incredibly merciful and patient and understands that no human will reach perfection immediately in all these areas. He understands that in our human weakness we will experience failures or setbacks along the way. 

That’s why, when we fall short, He offers us the opportunity to repent, be forgiven and get back on track. (To learn more about repentance and God’s willingness to forgive, read “What Is Repentance?” and “God’s Forgiveness.”)

Do we need to be perfectionists in order to become perfect? 

Oddly enough, the perfectionist mindset can actually hinder one’s ability to grow in godly character.  Perfectionism often convinces people that they cannot or should not take action until they are able to do so perfectly. But this simply isn’t possible. We can’t be good at something (let alone perfect) until we give it a try and another try and another try.

Anyone involved in athletics knows very well that practice and sometimes failure are essential for mastering any sport. 

The courage to get started is often the hardest part, but it’s not the only area in which perfectionism can impede one’s progress. Being fixated on achieving perfection can also create negative reactions to constructive criticism and can hinder growth (Proverbs 15:31-32). 

The tendency to compare can also sneak in under the guise of perfectionism. It’s easy to look at others who are farther along in their journey and become discouraged if we haven’t made the same progress. But such comparisons often distort one’s thinking (2 Corinthians 10:12), causing one to view genuine, constructive feedback as an attack. 

Harnessing the positive traits of perfectionism

These are some of the common pitfalls of perfectionism. However, there are a few helpful traits associated with perfectionism. Perfectionists are often driven, have a strong desire to achieve, and hold themselves to a high standard. When not taken to unhealthy extremes, these positive traits help in one’s quest to grow in God’s character. 

The best approach to seeking perfection is a balanced one—harnessing the positive traits associated with perfectionism without allowing failure (or the fear of it) to discourage or hold us back.  

God wants us to be driven to pursue the high standard of God’s character, but He also wants us to accept that the gap between us and Him is so wide that it won’t be bridged quickly, easily or by merely our own personal efforts. He wants us to strive as hard as we can, seek His forgiveness when we fail and not allow those failures to discourage us to the point that we become handicapped in guilt.

We shall be perfect

Pursuing perfection is a lifelong process, and everyone will stumble from time to time. No one can always be perfect on the journey to that ideal, but we’ll never get there if we never start. It starts with a first step and then never looking back, no matter how many times one falls along the way. 

God desires to make us perfect like Him, and this is exactly what He will do at the return of His Son, Jesus Christ.

To learn more about the tools God gives us to aid our journey toward perfection, download our free book, Five Tools for Spiritual Growth.

Photo credit: iStock.com/bymuratdeniz

Date Posted: January 20, 2025