Do any of you ever struggle with perfectionsim perfectionism? Drive yourself and your family crazy? Clean too much? Fret over your hair which never looks like air-brushed models or Texas women’s hair does (i.e., perfect, like they’d just stepped out of a salon)? Record podcasts over and over until you ‘get it right’ and then you’re still questioning if you should do it just one more time? Write your article or blog, and rewrite and rewrite because it doesn’t quite say what you want it to say and you don’t want people thinking you’re a terrible writer and that your blog is just plain stupid?
Yeah, I”m there sometimes. It can be quite frustrating. The funny thing is that everyone knows you have flaws anyway. (Sometimes they’re glaringly obvious!) I mean, you don’t want to exactly flaunt them, but then neither do you want to come across as someone who doesn’t care that the music messed up at the end of her Blog Talk Radio show last time.
When you or I are struggling with perfectionism, which basically is a form of pride (gulp!) and a fear of not being loved or accepted, we can go back to Jesus’ comforting words in Hebrews 4:15, ” For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.” God knows we are weak and imperfect, and yet how much He loves us and how willing He is to help us to overcome our areas of struggle. All we need to do is lean on Him and trust in Him, and obey His word. He is transforming us from “glory to glory.” (2 Corinthians 3:18, NKJV) My translation of that verse is, “God knows we’re gonna’ majorly screw up, so He’s got it already covered.”
We can also relax, knowing that most people are pretty understanding and will forgive us when we goof up. And maybe they will like us even better, because we are not coming across as this I-have-it-all-together, perfect woman like Carlizina Jolectron (people like that make you want to just pick them apart, don’t they? And thank goodness she isn’t real, although Angeline Jolie is close enough to that perfection!). We are just your average girl, someone who has to rely on God’s beautiful grace each day to do the things He has called us to do.
So chill out. Strive for excellence, not perfectionism. And when you do make a mistake, God is right there to help you eraise erase it with His agape love and the power of Jesus’ blood. And your friends and blog readers will sigh with relief, knowing that you mess up, too, like them. You’re in good company – the ones who just need Jesus!
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