Our perfectionist ways keep us distracted. Keep us from doing and being all that God has called us to. They hold us in bondage and keep us from experiencing the freedom & acceptance that God offers.
I’m not quite sure where it began in me. Having older siblings, I would often watch them, observing them. I would see them make mistakes, getting in trouble & getting grounded. I would learn from them and know what not to do. I have a sensitive heart and a need to please people. I remember one time, I was maybe five years old, my dad was cooking baked beans on the stove. The handle was pointed out, and I bumped it when walking past. I accidentally knocked the beans off the stove, and they spilled all over the floor. I immediately began to cry. I made a mistake. I failed. I couldn’t bear to upset him. To have him be angry with me.
I went about much of my life that way. Wanting to please people. Wanting to achieve. Pushing myself to be better. Always expecting more. “Good better best, never let is rest, until the good is better and the better is the best.”
Yikes.
What an unfulfilling way to live. You become a slave. While personal development and growth isn’t a bad thing, it can get twisted into something that only hurts us.
This perfectionism mindset ultimately stems from fear. Fear that we aren’t enough, fear of what people will think, fear of the future, fear that we don’t matter. It can lead to a lot of negative self-talk and anxiety. The enemy has us right where he wants us.
So, everyday, I choose to not fear. To not worry about what people think of me. To not fear failure. I give up pursuing perfection and instead pursue Jesus. I lay it all down at His feet and allow God’s perfect love to cast out all fear.
I will no longer live in bondage. I break the agreement that I am not enough as I am, and I accept the beautiful freedom that Christ offers.
“You drown my fears in perfect love,
You rescued me and I will stand and say,
I AM A CHILD OF GOD.” – No Longer Slaves, by Bethel
