Whether you are a christian or not, many people fall into the trap of believing that in order to be loved or accepted, you need to be perfect. That thought process can lead you to believe that even God needs you to be perfect before He can love you.
PERFECTIONISM IS WHEN THE PURSUIT OF GOOD GOES BAD, ITS WHEN CHASING WHAT’S RIGHT BECOMES WRONG
[2 CORINTHIANS 10:4-5\
“We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ.”
If you are ever going to defeat the negative thoughts that haunt you, you’ll first need to be willing to face them.
- WE’RE NOT PERFECT
[ROMANS 3:10]
“As the Scriptures say, “No one is righteous — not even one.”
[JOHN 13″3-9]
“Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything and that he had come from God and would return to God. 4 So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, 5 and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him. 6 When Jesus came to Simon Peter, Peter said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” 7 Jesus replied, “You don’t understand now what I am doing, but someday you will.” 8 “No,” Peter protested, “you will never ever wash my feet!” Jesus replied, “Unless I wash you, you won’t belong to me.” 9 Simon Peter exclaimed, “Then wash my hands and head as well, Lord, not just my feet!””
2. IMITATE GOD’S GOODNESS, NOT HIS PERFECTION
“Grace is opposed to earning, but not effort” — Dallas Willard
Craig Groeschel “The pursuit of excellence will consistently motivate you, but the pursuit of perfection will eventually limit you”
[MATTHEW 23:27-28]
“What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs—beautiful on the outside but filled on the inside with dead people’s bones and all sorts of impurity. 28 Outwardly you look like righteous people, but inwardly your hearts are filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness.”
You can try to control what other people see, but eventually what other people see will control you. Perfection can eventually lead you to do bad so you won’t look bad.
Brene Brown “Those who have a strong sense of love and belonging have the courage to be imperfect.”
3. CHOOSE PERFECT LOVE OVER PERFECT PERFORMANCE
[1 JOHN 4:15-18]
“15 All who declare that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God. 16 We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. 17 And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. 18 Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. [Your perfect performance cannot cast out the fear of not being enough. Only perfect love can do that.] If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love.”
SO WHEN YOUR PERFORMANCE ISN’T PERFECT, REMEMBER THAT GOD’S LOVE IS.