My name is Debbie and I’m a recovering perfectionist.
I confess that something inside of me needs to be the smartest, cleverest, and most accomplished person in the room. I have worked hard most of my life and I have spent a lot of money to achieve that goal. While doing that, I have also created for myself a mountain of anxiety and fear. I’ve asked God to help me, but I still felt like my success depended on my efforts alone.
Then, God did something amazing. He broke me. I felt a tremendous freedom when I knelt down before an Almighty God and tearfully admitted, “I’m a mess.”
I believe many of us struggle with our own imperfection. I know Christians who, even in their walk with Christ, feel like they need to have all of their ducks in a row in order for God to use them according to His plan. Yet throughout Scripture, we can see how God used messy, dysfunctional and prideful people to accomplish His will.
If we were able to achieve perfection, God wouldn’t need to save us. He saved us because we were messy. In fact, while we were still in our mess, Jesus died for us. Knowing every way we would be fail to be perfect, He looked down and loved us.
Grace is God’s favor where we don’t deserve it. Perfectionism ignores the grace of God. Brothers and sisters, let’s lay down the heavy yoke of perfectionism and embrace our humanness in the light of God’s grace.
Lord, show me if I am operating under a cloud of perfectionism. I want to serve you well, but not at the expense of experiencing your grace. Amen.
Go Deeper — Perfectionism can ruin our lives. Find a friend or mentor who can tell you truthfully if you have a bent toward perfectionism. Pray for God to help you accept your imperfections and receive His grace.
Read Further — Does God Break People on Purpose?
Photo Credit: Joshua Earle