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Breaking Perfect, Part 2

We are diving into finding freedom from perfectionism - or as I’ve called it, “Breaking Perfect”.

As I’ve learned to give up the chains of perfectionism in my personal and professional life, I had to dig deep and find out why it matters so much that the things I do or put my name to are “perfect”. (Now, remember, I’m not talking about doing things with excellence…I’m talking about being so consumed with leaving no room for mistakes that it doesn’t get done.)
At this point in my life, I know myself well enough (thanks to the Lord, and to countless personality quizzes and tests) that I know there’s a big part of me that still looks for acceptance and validation from others.
It doesn’t matter who the “others” are. I want them to like me and say I did a good job, and never have a bad thing to say about me.
As a grown woman, that can be a tricky trait to deal with. As a pastor’s wife, it can be downright detrimental.
My mind knows that I will never be everything to everyone. There will never be a time that I can make everyone happy.
But that little girl still inside me just begs for an “atto-girl” and begs to be noticed for a job-well-done.
I could work and work and work on something, giving up precious family time and even personal worship time to make sure it was something that was absolutely perfect. I’d sacrifice the things that truly fed my spirit and brought me peace in order to hear a stranger or acquaintance give a compliment on my efforts.
I was making an idol out of people’s opinions of me.
And I needed to change that and repent of it.
Paul writes in Galations 1:10 “Obviously I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant.”
And he also wrote the Thessalonians something that is similar: (1 Thess 2:4) “For we speak as messengers to be trusted with the Good News. Our purpose is to please God, not people. He alone examines the motives of our hearts.”
I recognized I had to change my motives. I ultimately want God to give me a “well done” - and I don’t want to sacrifice HIS “well done” to hear a “well done” here on earth.
Do you have motives that need to change? Maybe your reasoning for wanting things to be so perfect has less to do with giving glory to God and more to do with receiving glory from man. Let’s pray together about this and look for ways today to help keep our focus on glorifying God, not us.
Our gracious and loving Father, thank you for putting within us the desire to do good and be better than we have been previously. We know you want us to be the best we can be, but sometimes we get our focus wrong and find ourselves trying to be good so that others notice us. We may not have done it intentionally, but we’ve allowed others’ opinions of us to become an idol, and we repent for that. Help us Lord to keep our focus on doing things in a way that gives YOU all the glory. Because you deserve it all! In your precious son’s name we pray. Amen.
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