Who Me? A Perfectionist?

“The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever” (1 John 2:17, NIV)

There are some areas of my life where I am a perfectionist. They are probably not the ones you would normally think of. When I am teaching for example, I want my lesson plans to be perfect. After all these years, one would think that I would have learned that since the students are not perfect, the plans will never reach that ultimate goal. However, I still struggle in this area.

Recognizing that this is an imperfect world is essential but there are times when I still slip into denial of that basic truth. I continue to seek perfection where it cannot be found. The world screams, “Keep going, you can do this!” But there is a little voice that tells me something different. I know that I waste a great deal of time trying to get things just right when all that is required is completion. If you are anything like me, you quickly move from frustration to anger and eruption.

We will never be perfect while living here on earth!

Trying to be perfect is hard work! It means stepping on others or pushing them out of the way. It requires us to become calloused.  It shuts others out and demands a “lone-ranger” mentality. Perfectionism has a veracious appetite and tends to eat up every good thing in sight—especially time, relationships and joy. It is just never satisfied.

In and of itself, I don’t really think precision is a bad thing if we could learn to use it for God’s glory. Most of us, however, tend to claim the praise when things turn out well. That takes us on a collision course with idolatry and creates all kinds of additional problems.

Maybe we should use our perfectionism to seek Him. I wonder what that would look like! What if we’re missing something and it serves a paramount purpose? What if it points us not only to Him but to our eternal home? Stifling our longing to live a godly lifestyle is certainly not a great idea—especially when we know that heaven is our final destination.

My challenge for you today is to stop trying to be perfect by the world’s standards. Seek His approval. The relief and joy you will experience might change you from the inside out! In no time at all, I would not be surprised to hear you singing a new song.

The More I Seek You with Kari Jobe

Father, please help me break out of this self-defeating behavior. Give me a desire to make You smile and forget about what the world says. AMEN.