The Heart Of Perfection: Trading Our Dream Of Perfect For God'sSample

"You will keep him in perfect peace, 

whose mind is stayed on You,

because he trusts in You.” 

(Isa 26:3)

Balance is a big buzz word these days, and our consumer culture offers countless quick fixes to attain it. But God’s Word offers something better: The promise that if we put Jesus and His priorities first, our minds and lives will be at peace. “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness,” Jesus tells us, “and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matt 6:33).

That can be tough for a perfectionist to swallow. We’re used to setting our own agendas and chasing our own goals. We often feel as if the world is riding on our shoulders. “Letting go and letting God” can feel risky, even irresponsible. 

Doesn’t Scripture also tell us that “whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord” (Col 3:23)? Is it really God’s will that I shrug off a crying kid, a sick parent or a can’t-miss work deadline because I’m craving more Jesus-and-me time? If I’m doing something for the Lord, shouldn’t I do it as well as I can?

Benedict of Nursia, a sixth-century Italian monk known as the father of modern Europe and founder of Western monasticism, once wrestled with the same questions. He saw Scripture’s command to “do everything for the glory of God” (1 Cor 10:31) and his perfectionist streak predisposed him to run with that verse. 

Yet Benedict also learned from experience that pushing yourself and others too hard can be a road to ruin. There’s a fine line between work that glorifies God and work that merely glorifies yourself. Benedict saw our willingness to drop our work when a more pressing need arises as a good indicator of whether or not we’ve crossed that line. 

That’s where habits and routines come in. In the Rule of Benedict that he formulated to guide his culture-transforming Christian communities, this recovering perfectionist saint emphasized the importance of creating schedules that leave us enough time each day to pray, work, eat, rest, read and study Scripture. Benedict saw our daily routines as a concrete expression of our priorities, and a reliable way to keep first things first. It’s one thing to say we love God. It’s another to drop what we’re doing seven or eight times a day to pray through Scripture together, as monks who follow Benedict’s Rule did, and still do.

Not every day will be the picture of balance. Love of neighbor must trump our love of routine, and Benedict frequently reminded his readers that obedience to the demands of the present moment—including the needs of loved ones whose crises we didn’t anticipate when making our to-do lists—is a form of obedience to God. 

Sometimes we will find that biblical balance looks nothing like the world’s version, and leaves us anything but relaxed. We’ll be at peace, though, knowing that when we focus on God’s priorities, He has a way of taking care of ours.

Scripture: 

Read Matthew 6: 25 – 33. 

Reflect:

How would your to-do list today change if the kingdom of God were your top priority? Would you carve out more time for prayer or for visiting a loved one you’ve been meaning to reconnect with? Would you tackle that difficult-but-important project you’ve been putting off or turn down that extra commitment you really don’t have time to take on? Before revising your to-do list, spend a few minutes asking Jesus what He most wants you to do today. Then do it.