What are some of the dangers of perfectionism?

Ecclesiastes 7:20Not a single person on earth is always good and never sins.

Romans 3:23Everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.

2 Corinthians 12:9Each time he [God] said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.

Perfectionism is a ruthless taskmaster—demanding and unforgiving. In this life, the goal of perfection is hopeless and sets us up for failure. Limitations that have nothing to do with sin—such as the amount of time we have available, our mental and physical health, our inexperience with something, or events beyond our control—are not even considered in the balance. Perfectionism is too heavy a burden to place on ourselves or others. Instead, we should strive to serve God with purity of heart and leave the results up to him.

Matthew 9:13Then he [Jesus] added, “Now go and learn the meaning of this Scripture: ‘I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.’ For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.”

Galatians 5:2Listen! I, Paul, tell you this: If you are counting on circumcision to make you right with God, then Christ will be of no benefit to you.

Philippians 3:5-7I [Paul] was a member of the Pharisees, who demand the strictest obedience to the Jewish law. I was so zealous that I harshly persecuted the church. And as for righteousness, I obeyed the law without fault. I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done.

Perfectionism can be misdirected and cause great damage. Multiple times in Scripture, perfectionism led people to latch on to religious rules as an end goal in themselves, without considering the purpose or intent of those rules.

Luke 18:11-14“The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer: ‘I thank you, God, that I am not like other people—cheaters, sinners, adulterers. I’m certainly not like that tax collector! I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.’ But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.’ I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

Perfectionism can lead to self-righteousness and entitlement in our relationship with God and with others.

Esther 4:10-14Then Esther told Hathach to go back and relay this message to Mordecai: “All the king’s officials and even the people in the provinces know that anyone who appears before the king in his inner court without being invited is doomed to die unless the king holds out his gold scepter. And the king has not called for me to come to him for thirty days.” So Hathach gave Esther’s message to Mordecai. Mordecai sent this reply to Esther: “Don’t think for a moment that because you’re in the palace you will escape when all other Jews are killed. If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance and relief for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die. Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?”

Ecclesiastes 11:4Farmers who wait for perfect weather never plant. If they watch every cloud, they never harvest.

Waiting for perfection or ideal conditions can lead to procrastination. It can immobilize us with uncertainty. We will never be truly perfect or sure of exact timing, but we cannot let those limitations keep us from stepping out and doing what we can.