Jeremy L. Berg

Pull up a slab of rock, light a candle and grab a quill, ink and a scrap of papyrus to take notes. We’re journeying together back to the year AD 58 to a Roman prison cell to listen in as Paul pens his letter to his Christian brothers and sisters in the city of Philippi. What can his letter speak to us some 2,000 years later?

“For I am sure of this very thing, that the one who began a good work in you will carry it on to perfection by the day of Christ Jesus” (Phi 1:6).

Some of us have inherited the bittersweet trait of “perfectionism”.  Clearly others have not.  I’m speaking of those of us who have the deep internal drive for bringing a particular project or task to completion with great care, hair splitting detail, relentless laboring, and a nearly impossible standard of excellence.  

In high school, I spent thousands of hours shooting free throws in the driveway, perfecting my shot form and raising my percentage.  I would burn the midnight oil putting the finishing touches on a drawing for art class.  When I was younger, my Lego cities would continually undergo reconstruction and remodeling.  There was always another addition or improvement to be made.  Put simply, perfectionists are never quite ready to call it complete; there is always one more thing we could do to improve or polish it off.    

The rest of you look at us Perfectionists as some strange breed from another planet.  You probably have the opposite problem.  I will call you Best Intentionists. You start many projects, get distracted, bored, bogged down, or discouraged along the way, and end up walking away half-finished.  You have great intentions but lack the self-discipline, patience, perseverance, ability or desire to carry your projects on to completion. 

Well, there is one particular project that leaves both groups in a tough spot—our spiritual formation.  The life of a revolutionary follower of Jesus is all about becoming like Jesus.  This is the highest of callings, and the most important project you will ever take on.  The Best Intentionist is initially excited about growing up into Christ, but usually gets distracted, lazy, or bored along the way and slowly fades away in their faith journey.  The Perfectionist, on the other hand, possibly pursues their faith formation with vigor, determination, passion and purpose, but they mistakenly think they can accomplish this task by their own strength and effort.  They may very well burn out not fully realizing the task is too great for any human being to accomplish by their own strength.  So, the one lacks the PERSEVERENCE and the other lacks the POWER.  

Here is the good news from the pen of Paul today: God has both the power to perfect us, and the perseverance to complete the task.  As Paul puts it: “The one who began a good work in you will carry it on to perfection until the day of Christ Jesus” (Phil 1:6).  Before you think you are off the hook, remember another core truth.  God chooses to partner with us in this journey of transformation.  We are called to “work with fear and trembling to complete your salvation, because God is always at work in you to make you willing and able to obey his own purpose” (Phil 2:12-13).  We must lock arms with the God of the universe, and draw on his limitless strength and wisdom to bring our lives into congruity with His.  As Paul says, “To get this done I toil and struggle, using the mighty strength which Christ supplies and which is at work in me” (Col 1:29).  

So, whether you are a Perfectionist or a Best Intentionist, rest confidently in the fact that God is the one true Perfectionist who can and will partner with you in order to make your life in Him a grand masterpiece for the ages—perfected in His time and by His power.