“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” 2 Corinthians 12:9 (NIV)
I have always been a perfectionist. I must wash the dishes, clean the kitchen, and fold and put away the laundry before I can read or watch TV. Getting everything done perfectly has become my prerequisite for relaxing.
I’m unsure how I became so fastidious. Maybe I feel compelled to prove my worth because I felt rejected as a child. Perhaps it stems from living with an alcoholic, feeling the need to control something in an uncontrollable situation. Or maybe it stems from living in a culture fueled by social media, focused on having the perfect body, home, or best possessions.
We don’t have to be perfect for God to love us. He saved us despite our imperfections. “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved” (Ephesians 2: 4-5, NIV).
God hopes for progress, not perfection. Someday, He will make us complete and perfect. “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6, NIV). But for now, we only need to love. “’Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’” (Matthew 22:36-39, NIV).
As a teacher, I learned this lesson the hard way. Each year, my principal observed me twice. Each time, I planned a lesson using the seven components of effective teaching and any new strategies I’d learned in professional development. I laid out the materials and practiced giving instructions and asking questions. Then, I taught the “perfect” lesson.
But my students never thanked me for teaching perfect lessons. They thanked me for working one-on-one with them, before or after school, if they needed extra help or didn’t understand my “perfect” lessons. My display of love, not perfection, moved their hearts and helped them achieve.
You see, we are called to love, not to be perfect. As Paul explained, Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to work through our weaknesses and imperfections. “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me” (2 Corinthians 12:9, NIV).
So, we can stop trying to be perfect. We love best when we trust in God’s abilities and allow His Spirit to work through us. This, my friend, is how we become perfectly imperfect.
Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for sending Jesus and saving me despite my weaknesses, sin, and imperfections. Please help me let go of perfectionism and allow your Spirit to help me love others well. In Jesus’ Name, Amen
