“If it’s not done perfectly, it’s not worth doing at all.”
I lived under this attitude of perfectionism for too many years. So much so, it was suffocating.
perfectionism :: personal standard, attitude, or philosophy that demands perfection and rejects anything less
Why or how that came to be, I’m not quite sure.
Maybe it was because I was a people-pleaser, and my desire to perform to please others caused me to focus on being “perfect.” If I did whatever I was doing perfectly, it would please whomever I was doing it for, right?
Or quite possibly the standard to achieve I set for myself was such a stretch, doing my tasks perfectly would be the only way to attain it. If I did whatever I was doing perfectly, I would achieve my perfect life, right?
Or maybe it was because I wanted to appear perfect in others’ eyes to be accepted. If I did whatever I was doing perfectly, others would like me, right?
All of these lines of thinking seemed to fit.
I lived under the burden of perfectionism.
Yet, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t do much of anything perfectly. No matter how hard I tried, I continued to mess things up. Every single day.
Sure, I knew the only One perfect in this world was Jesus, yet I still thought I needed to be.
There is no one on earth who does what is right all the time and never makes a mistake. Ecclesiastes 7:20 GNT
And as I tried to be perfect and couldn’t be, I would walk through times of questioning my worth and value. If I wasn’t perfect, what good was I??
Until I learned a life-changing truth:
Despite my imperfections, God still loved me and counted me worthy.
God still loved me for who He created me to be. I was worthy because I was His. Not because I was perfect.
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8 NIV
I began to understand I could live an imperfect life and still be accepted and loved. And I could be okay with my imperfections, and enjoy my imperfect life. One day at a time.
But he said to me, “My grace is enough for you. When you are weak, my power is made perfect in you.” 2 Corinthians 12:9a
Through God’s grace, my imperfections and mess-ups are opportunities for Him to be glorified. They are moments when I become less and He becomes greater. They are times when He does what I cannot do. And it’s all of Him and nothing of me.
These instances are when I stand back in awe… In awe of what He does through my beautifully imperfect life.
Friend, I pray you’ve never experienced the agony of this burden. If you have or are currently, I lift you in prayer today, and I hope this part of my journey will encourage you. God loves you just as you are. You don’t have to be perfect. You, nor I, were created to be so.
You can be beautifully imperfect you, living out a beautifully imperfect life.
That’s not to say we aren’t to try and live good and pleasing lives. This doesn’t mean we become lazy and apathetic. Not at all. Because God’s grace meets us in our imperfections, we are motivated to do all we can to love Him and glorify Him in and through our lives.
A beautifully imperfect life, one day at a time.
From one imperfect person to another, you are loved!
Blessings,
Julie
Linking this post with my Tuesday friends: Kelly at #RaRaLinkup, Holly at #TestimonyTuesday, and Crystal at #IntentionalTuesday.
Love this, Julie. It reminds me of a saying…anything worth doing is worth doing badly.
That’s our Andrew!!!
Gods grace does indeed meet us in our inperfectionisms. Great post friend!
Julie, I’ll never be the cook so and so is. I’ll never make beautiful quilts like my friend. I’ll never write a bestseller BUT, I love and the people around me appreciate my imperfect meals, my mending, and my quirky blog. I think my good, good Father is pleased also. He counts me worthy!!! Thank You, Jesus!
great post julie:) i can identify on so many levels! i have had those all thoughts you described! over time, GOD brought people into my life who lived out proof that those lies weren’t true and one by one, i had to send them crumbling down. that’s not to say they don’t yell at me from time to time, but then I can say, “you are lying! it’s not true b/c GOD’s Word says this____ and i saw the reality of it in x’s life!”
perfection is a killer of relationships, creativity and attempts at trying to things in life and in the church. it’s true that Jesus is the only One who is perfect. the rest of us can realize we are broken without Him and will enjoy the freedom He brings to a life lived obeying Him. no, it won’t be perfect. sometimes it will be downright messy. but by the grace of GOD, it will be an interesting, creative life as we walk with Him:)
Julie,
As a recovering perfectionist, your words resonated with me. I will never be great, let alone perfect, when it comes to keeping a super tidy house, but I try for reasonably neat …And Romans 5:8 is so powerful when the truth of it sinks into one’s heart…Thanks 🙂
I so relate to the perfection’s burden. But I’m learning to find His grace in my weaknesses. Sweet blessings to you, friend. : )