Can I be honest with you guys? I’m having kind of a hard time blogging! There I said it! It’s not because I don’t want to and not because I’m not a good writer either. Actually, I really enjoy writing! In fact, I have about 6 blog posts that are half written. The reason why I’m having such a hard time blogging is because of this little word called PERFECTION!
Ever since I was little I have been a perfectionist…with everything especially my art! I thought I was only a perfectionist when it came to my artwork but as I have grown up I’ve realized that it has seeped into every aspect of my daily life. I always try to make my homework perfect, I try to get a perfect score on my tests in school (and when I don’t I get discouraged), I try to make my art perfect, my blogs perfect, and so on. Everything I do I try to make perfect. And if I’m being honest with myself, it’s hard. It’s so hard to expect something so great from myself. It’s such a big burden on me and therefore I struggle to just be and live life with out fitting it into a box. I actually use to think perfectionism is good. To an extent it can be, but in other ways it hinders me from being with God, talking with Him, enjoying Him, being free, and noticing His hand in every little thing. Here’s the pros and cons about perfectionism in my life:
- Pros:
- It helps me strive to do better in school, work, life, and in my art.
- It helps me focus on important details.
- It points out things I maybe would have missed if I wasn’t a perfectionist.
- I feel accomplished when I put a lot of effort into something and complete it successfully.
- Cons:
- It can be a huge burden and stress on me.
- Sometimes I’m so focused on being “perfect” that I can’t focus on anything else.
- I miss out on what the Lord is doing and saying.
- Spending time and coming to God is hard because sometimes I FEEL like I have to be perfect.
- It prevents me from going out of my comfort zone.
- It’s not biblical.
- It is a way that Satan holds me back from God.
- It causes me to stubble, fall, and sometimes forget my true identity in God.
These are all things that I have realized just recently about perfectionism. Although, there are good things that can come from it, there is definitely more cons than pros of perfectionism. It’s hard to be honest about this and admit my flaws. It’s also hard to try to let go of my control and let God form me into who He wants me to be. This is how the devil tries to pull us away from God (at least for me). Satan does tempt me to sin in other ways too, but he knows that I have a heart for the Lord so he has become more creative in the ways of destruction. Satan knows he can’t prevent me from believing in Christ so the next best thing for him to do is to keep me away from him. This is my road block. This is what blocks me or keeps me from the Lord sometimes and it saddens my heart.
But guess what?: ‘You don’t have to be perfect to come to the Lord or be loved by Him!’ I know that’s definitely easier said than done. When we/I try to be perfect I’m trying to be the Lord….I can’t be the Lord. Basically it’s an act of pride! Even though it doesn’t feel like pride it is. I’m trying to take the Lord’s place by being perfect!! But here’s the truth beloveds:
‘The Lord is the only one who is perfect. He was perfect because we aren’t and we can’t. He is perfect so that we can be free. He’s perfect so that He could take our place on the cross. He is perfect so that He keeps His promise. He is perfect because he loves us beyond belief with his reckless love! He is perfect because He is God and we are not. He is perfect because He is the only one who knows everything, everyone, and every outcome of every situation. He is perfect because He is the only person who has eternal power. He is perfect so that He can take all of our sins away.’
That is the truth my friends! I’m not just saying this to you, but I’m saying this to myself too because I need to hear it just as much as you guys do! Actually, David did this same exact thing in Psalms. In Psalms, when he was going through pain, trials, hurts, and emotions he wrote about it like this. David grasped his heart in his hands and reminded himself of the truth. This is exactly what I’m doing too…I’m encouraging you as much as I am encouraging my broken heart. It’s been a crazy and humbling journey for the Lord to confront me with a lot of my flaws. It’s hard at times to hear my flaws, but I have to trust the Lord that He is doing something greater through this. The Lord breaks our hearts in ways we never would expect in order to build us up again to look more like Him. I know the Lord is going to use this time of struggling with my flaws to help me on the World Race. I also know that the Lord is going to show me a lot about the freedom that comes with letting go of perfection during these next 9 months. I’m excited for the journey ahead and what I’m going to learn, but I know that perfectionism is going to be a challenge for me. I know that this race isn’t going to be perfect no matter how badly I want it to be. I know it’s going to be really hard a lot of times both mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Although there will be times of difficulty, I have a ‘YES’ in my heart. Even though perfectionism is something I struggle with I’m going to try to be open with you guys and post my blogs more often even though they may not be “my version of perfect”. Thank you all for listening to my heart and my struggle. I hope this encourages, challenges, and helps your heart as it has helped mine to remind myself of the truth and be honest with you. I’m going to leave some bible verses at the bottom of this blog post to further challenge and strengthen us together. Yes, the Lord is putting me on this journey, but He’s also putting you on this journey as well to challenge, strengthen, and grow you too. Be blessed my friends!!!
Verses to Converse:
(What the Lord has to say about perfectionism and coming as you are)
Note: Some of these verses don’t actually mention the word ‘perfection’ but they talk about having burdens which can be from perfectionism, anxieties which sometimes we get from trying to be perfect, and coming as we are even though we aren’t perfect
- Matthew 11:28-30
“Then Jesus said, ‘Come to me, all you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.’”
Summary: He is perfect and his yoke is easy so we don’t have to put the burden of being perfect on ourselves. Instead, we can rely on him and find true rest in surrendering our imperfections to the only who is TRULY perfect. - John 6:37
“Everyone whom the Father gives me will come to me, and the one who comes to me I will never send away.”
Summary: He will never send us away from Him no matter how broken we may feel. He wants us to come as we are even with our imperfections and flaws. - Isaiah 1:18
“Come now, let’s settle this,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool.”
Summary: Even though we have sinned He is making us new. He sees us as His good and perfect creation even when we make mistakes. - Revelation 22:17
“The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” Let anyone who hears this say, “Come.” Let anyone who is thirsty come. Let anyone who desires drink freely from the water of life.”
Summary: Come as you are to the Lord. You don’t have to be perfect just willing to receive all the beautiful things the Lord has in store for you! - 2 Corinthians 5:17
“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”
Summary: Christ renews us and we are no longer defined by our flaws. Instead, our identity is in the Lord. - Galatians 2:20 (Hebrews 9:14)
“I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So the life I now live in the body, I live because of the faithfulness of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” - Philippians 4:13
“I can do all things through he who gives me strength”
Summary: Christ is in us so we can do all things through Him even when we can’t do things in our own power. - Romans 5:8
“I loved you at your darkest”
Summary: God knows all of our imperfections and flaws but yet He still loves us the same. - Galatians 1:10
“Am I trying to win the approval of men, or God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ”
Summary: Why do we try so hard to be perfect? Why does it matter what the society says about having a ‘perfect’ life or being ‘successful’? It doesn’t matter what the world/men say. It only matters what the Lord says. - Psalm 18:32
“It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect”
Summary: We are not perfect by our own doing, but He gives us strength and makes our way perfect. - Hebrews 10:14
“Because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy”
Summary: Because Jesus died on the cross for our sins He has made all of us perfect in His sight. He no longer sees the us as sinful, but instead he sees Jesus when he looks at us. Therefore since Jesus was perfect God sees Christ followers as perfect because Jesus within us. - Deuteronomy 32:4
“He is the Rock; his deeds are perfect. Everything he does is just and fair. He is a faithful God who does no wrong; how just and upright he is!”
Summary: Christ is perfect so we don’t have to be! - Psalms 19:7
“The instructions of the Lord are perfect, reviving the soul. The decrees of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple.”
Summary: The Lord is perfect and it takes the burden off of us so that we don’t have to be perfect. - John 17:23
“I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me.”
Summary: Christ is in us and wherever we go others can experience this perfect unity and this amazing relationship we have with our creator. When others see Jesus in us then they are able to see that the Lord loves them just as much as He loves me and you no matter what are imperfections are. - Galatians 3:3
“How foolish can you be? After starting your new lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort?”
Summary: Don’t fall into the trap of trying to be the world’s version of perfect and pleasing people. Instead, rely on Christ and be joyful that you are a new creation and you have the Spirit inside of you! - Hebrews 5:9
“In this way, God qualified him as a perfect High Priest, and he became the source of eternal salvation for all those who obey him.”
Summary: Jesus is the perfect sacrifice and the high priest. Because of His death on the cross we can have eternal salvation and life with Him if we form a relationship with Him, except Him as our Lord, and obey His commands since only He knows what is best for us. - Hebrews 9:14
“Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins.”
Summary: Since He is perfect we no longer have try to be perfect. He is perfect so that we don’t have to be and because He knows we cannot be perfect. - 1 John 4:18
“Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love.”
Summary: We don’t have to be afraid because the Lord’s love is perfect love. No one can love you more than God. Because His love is perfect it casts out all fear. If we are afraid of judgement then we haven’t experienced Christ’s love because He is not a God of judgement, but a God of love.
