Scott’s Search for Perfection: How Ecclesiastes 7:20 Reminds Every Man That No One Is Without Sin

Frank Wible
Oct 10
3 min read

Scott was the kind of man who demanded perfection from himself. Every task had to be done right, every word chosen carefully, and every decision measured twice. People admired his discipline, but few saw the weight he carried inside.

He believed that being a good man meant never slipping, never failing, and never showing weakness. For years, that belief drove him. He served at church, worked hard at his job, and did his best to be a strong leader for his family.

But behind closed doors, he wrestled with quiet guilt. The harder he tried to be perfect, the more aware he became of his flaws. Every small mistake haunted him. He would replay conversations in his mind, criticize himself for not praying enough, and question whether God was disappointed in him.

One morning, after an argument with his teenage son, Scott sat on the edge of his bed feeling broken. He had lost his temper and said things he regretted. For a man who tried so hard to be righteous, failure felt unbearable.

Scott sat in silence after losing his temper, crushed by guilt until Scripture reminded him that no one is without sin.

Later that week, during a men’s Bible study, someone read aloud from Ecclesiastes 7:20. Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.

The words pierced his heart. He had read that verse before, but this time it felt personal. For years, he had been chasing an impossible standard, one that even Scripture said did not exist.

That night, Scott went for a long walk. He talked to God out loud, something he had not done in a while. “Lord,” he said, “I’ve been trying so hard to be perfect that I forgot how much I need Your grace.”

Tears filled his eyes as he realized that his perfectionism was not righteousness. It was pride. He had been trying to earn God’s approval instead of receiving it through Christ.

Scott finally accepted that no one is without sin, he stopped striving for perfection and started living in grace.

Over the next few weeks, Scott began to change the way he saw himself and others. He stopped expecting flawlessness and started focusing on faithfulness. When he failed, he confessed it and moved forward instead of drowning in guilt.

At work, his leadership became gentler. When a coworker made a mistake, he responded with patience instead of frustration. His wife noticed the change. “You seem freer,” she told him. He smiled and said, “I finally understand that no one is without sin, including me.”

His new humility began to shape his home. His son noticed that his father was more approachable, more honest about his own struggles. Their relationship grew stronger because Scott was no longer pretending to have it all together.

One Sunday morning, while serving communion, he looked around the sanctuary and thought about how many men were just like him, trying to hold everything together, trying to look righteous, trying to hide their flaws.

He whispered a quiet prayer, “Lord, let them know Your grace is enough.”

Now when Scott reads Ecclesiastes 7:20, he no longer feels condemned. He feels relieved. It reminds him that perfection is not the goal, repentance is.

Scott’s story reminds us all that no one is without sin. The only perfect man to ever walk the earth was Jesus, and His righteousness is enough for every one of us who falls short.

What helps you remember that God’s grace is greater than your failures?