Overcoming Perfectionism as a Christian

Scripture: 

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” – Romans 8:28 (ESV)

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Overcoming Perfectionism as a Christian

It’s okay to not be perfect—it’s something I’ve been telling myself more and more.

I often get stressed when things aren’t done by the deadline I’ve scheduled for myself. If I tell myself I’ll have something done by a specific day, and for whatever reason, I don’t, it’s like a tick that eats at me until I find the one place it’s located to get rid of it. Weird analogy, but hopefully you understand my point.

I’m a bit high strung, I guess. Maybe even a slight perfectionist. 

But it’s something I’ve been noticing more, and the Lord has been opening my eyes to the unrealistic expectations I sometimes hold for myself. I’ve been realizing that, no, I won’t complete my website in three days (and I didn’t); I won’t make perfect grades in all of my classes (and I haven’t); and I won’t always get things right on the first try. That doesn’t make me a failure, though.

I remember when I got my first B in college; I cried. I felt like I was a lazy student, and when my professor wouldn’t accept a resubmission, I felt rejected. 

There’s an amazing thing I’ve started realizing though—my feelings aren’t final, and just because I feel something doesn’t make it true.

While I felt like a failure and I felt rejected, neither was the case. We are allowed to make mistakes, and a “no” isn’t always rejection, but redirection. We need to remember that when we look into our spiritual journey, because when God says no, we may sometimes feel the same way.

You might think: “He didn’t give me that job I dreamed of so that means He rejects me.” Or, “He didn’t answer my prayer; He’s rejecting me.” But again, just because you think something, doesn’t make it true; you’re allowed to make mistakes and be imperfect… it’s part of being human. And those negative thoughts… are they even yours, or has the enemy planted them there (Matthew 13:25, ESV)?

Reflection: 

How can you learn to see yourself through a different lens? Practice swapping “I should’ve had that done by now” with “I’m doing what I can with what I have”, and learn to accept that you can’t do everything, all the time. How can you learn to receive the grace God has already given you (2 Corinthians 12:9-10, ESV)?