Peace Over Perfection
Many Christians, often without even realizing it, struggle with a type of Christian perfectionism. We strive to please God but are plagued with anxiety about making mistakes. We want to do God’s will but live with a self-berating inner voice even as we seek to serve him. We sincerely believe the gospel and love Jesus but struggle with never feeling good enough before God.
How can Christians wholeheartedly pursue God without an undercurrent of guilt, fear, or anxiety? How can imperfect people experience God’s peace while seeking to obey his perfect standards?
Author Faith Chang addresses the struggles of her fellow “Christian perfectionists” through meditations on God’s character. With nuance and care, she writes for those who seek to grow in Christ and live for God’s glory yet live in fear of failure. She explores the Bible to show that as God deals with us as in-process people, he is far more merciful, righteous, and patient than we may have imagined. As we consider how he interacts bountifully with us, the weary and scrupulous Christian perfectionist will be freed to pursue God while experiencing his love and peace.
There are prayers between each chapter for specific situations Christian perfectionists face, such as “A Prayer for When You Feel You’re a Fake.” Reflection questions are included for those reading the book in small groups or one on one.
About the Author
Faith Chang (B.S. Human Development, Cornell University; Certificate in Christian Studies, Westminster Theological Seminary) serves at Grace Christian Church of Staten Island, where her husband is a pastor. She is an editorial board member of the SOLA Network and co-hosts the Westminster Kids Digest Podcast at WTS Books. Her writing on theology, motherhood, ministry, and the Christian life has appeared on Westminster Kids, The SOLA Network, The Gospel Coalition, and The Lausanne Movement.
I never saw myself as a Christian perfectionist until I read this book. Perfectionist is not even a word that I would use to describe myself. Do I have areas that I am organized and like those things to stay that way? I most certainly do, but I do not have a great organizational system. It was not until Chang pointed out that Christian perfectionist often struggle with not “getting it right” all the time that leads to this type of perfection.
Perfection brushes up against the desires I have to do good, and what was once a joyful, exciting opportunity to love others becomes beset with self-doubt and questioning. Am I doing these for the right reason? Will I be able to do this well enough? Will this person really be helped? I should have cared more, been more attentive, known better.
I often struggle with maybe if I would have shared the gospel in a better way then that person would have become a Christian. Maybe if I knew more about Theology then I would have been able to answer that question. Through reading this book, I was able to see that I often rely on my own power to save a person rather than relying on God. This was a book that I did not know that I needed to read because it pointed out areas in my life that I am not fully putting my trust in the Lord. Instead I spend my time contemplating the “what ifs.”
Christian perfectionist often carry the sense that things with God aren’t good.
Through out the course of this book, Chang uses her own personal struggles to show we are not alone in our fight against Christian perfectionism. I am grateful for her willingness to share her personal struggles with the world. This book would not have had the same impact on my life if it was not for Chang’s vulnerability.
Beloved, none of God’s people have ever pulled a fast one on him, and neither have you. He knows you completely, and nothing you do or don’t do will lead to any disillusionment on his part. When you stumble, you may fearfully search his face for a change of his resolve to love you-but you will never find even the slightest flicker in his affections. He is fully committed to the real, whole you. Fully known, you are truly loved.
If I am honest, I felt like the prayers at the end of each chapter were very surface level. After being convicted in many ways, I would come to the time of prayer at the end of each chapter and I felt as if those prayers were nothing in comparison to how I was feeling after reading each chapter. Each chapter showed me areas where I was trying to save the world from a life in Hell without the one who can truly save them.
I am not paid to write a good review. My thoughts are my own.
