Quotes about Perfection

Such a down-and-then-up perspective does not fit into our Western philosophy of progress, nor into our desire for upward mobility, nor into our religious notions of perfection or holiness.

We grow spiritually much more by doing it wrong than by doing it right. That just might be the central message of how spiritual growth happens, yet nothing in us wants to believe it. If there is such a thing as human perfection, it seems to emerge precisely from how we handle the imperfection that is everywhere, especially our own. What a clever place for God to hide holiness so that only the humble and the earnest will find it.

Perfect spirituality is just to imitate God.

The Holy Spirit is always entirely for us, more than we are for ourselves, it seems. She speaks in our favor against the negative voices that judge and condemn us. This gives us all such hope—now we do not have to do life all by ourselves, or even do life perfectly "right.

We clergy have gotten ourselves into the job of "sin management" instead of sin transformation. "If you are not perfect, then you are doing something wrong," we have taught people. We have blamed the victim, or have had little pity for victims, while daring to worship a victim image of God. Our mistakes are something to be pitied and healed much more than hated, denied, or perfectly avoided. I do not think you should get rid of

The path to Christian perfection always runs across the collapse of our own moral efforts and self-established ideals.

If perfection was a requirement for friendship with God, we would never be able to be his friends. Fortunately, because of God's grace, Jesus is still the "friend of sinners.

We know that God's being is perfect, His essence infinite, His dominion absolute, His power unlimited, and His glory transcendent.

So, to detract from the perfection of creatures is to detract from the perfection of divine power.

So, to detract from the perfection of creatures is to detract from the perfection of divine power.

So, to detract from the perfection of creatures is to detract from the perfection of divine power.

But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.