Perfectionism or Perfection?
I have perfectionistic tendencies. You’d think this means I am perfectly organized, never make mistakes, and think through everything with precision. Ha. No… I have tendencies to hold myself to unrealistic expectations which I have deemed “perfect” and then I will either be exceedingly proud of my accomplishment in the rare cases I succeed or feel deep shame when I fall short regardless of the other successes.
When I heard “Christian Perfection” or that as Methodists we believe we are “going onto perfection,” I used to think the above is what that meant. I thought it meant God wanted me to hold myself to unrealistic standards based on behavior and performance. Sure, God always loves me, but I thought God wanted me to check off the right boxes to be pleased with me. Boy was I wrong!
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