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. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. 1 John 4:16-18 NLT
I think God is teaching me that I don’t have to be perfect and do everything right to be right with Him. This is a hard lesson for me. I’m a perfectionist, so I have a hard time understanding how God can possibly love me and want to bless me, even when I don’t do all the things I know I should.
I get behind in my tithing, and though I know, He still loves me, I feel that I can’t be blessed because of this. I also think that when I’m not on track with my eating that I prevent myself from being blessed. But I think God is showing me that He can still bless me even when I’m in those states of imperfection. It’s the devil that uses these shortcomings of mine to condemn me and make me feel unworthy. I think God is trying to show me that it’s my relationship with Him that’s the important thing, not what I’m doing or not doing in the world. The more I grow my relationship with Him, the better I’ll understand His love for me and the clearer it will become that I don’t have to work to get His love. He loves me just the way I am; I don’t ever need to feel afraid, inadequate, or unworthy.
Lord, help me learn this new lesson, open my mind to understand the depth of your love for me, no matter what I struggle with or can or can’t do. Amen
Elizabeth Purcell
Thank you, Melissa, so true. Our relationship with Him, our faithfulness and our obedience are what He desires MOST, not us being PERFECT. We are called to know the perfect one, JESUS! I am a recovering perfectionist who must ask God every day to increase Him and decrease Me, so I don’t focus on “getting everything right.” Not that excellence doesn’t matter; it just should not be where we place our emphasis.
Valda Goudie
I used to cite perfectionism as a positive trait in job interviews. And there are parts of having a perfectionist as an employee that might be desirable – they will work hard to get everything right. Yet, who wants a staff of uptight, stressed individuals all trying to make things perfect? Beating themselves up over the fact that sometimes they fail at achieving perfection? I think your words resonate with many of us, Melissa. There is only one Perfect One. We will never reach that status no matter how hard we try. But the more we lean into Him with a desire to reflect His love to others, the more we’ll become like Him. i was trying to think of a cute name for a group of us recovering perfectionists, but I failed. If only I was perfect!
Melissa
Valda GoudieHa that’s awesome! Love that you couldn’t think of a cool name for our group, neither can I🙂
Hope Daniels
Thank you for sharing, Melissa. I know it doesn’t help anyone’s situation if there are others in the same boat, but it does encourage. So many women think they need to be perfect in every way; you are so right – this is the number one tactic of the adversary. If God is for us, who can be against us?
Love you!
Hope
Samantha
Recovering perfectionist here too! You’re not alone. It’s hard to unlearn the world’s way-that doing things gives us worth. We are loved no matter what! How miraculous!
Colleen Denison
Thank you so much for sharing, Melissa! So powerful, and I needed to hear this and know that I’m not the only one. God still loves us.
Liz Bell
I love this, Melissa, and it speaks volumes to so many. I too, must ask Holy Spirit every day to empty me of me and fill me with Him and to remove the ‘worldly’ thoughts and give me the wisdom of Him as I go about my day. I love the song “Jesus at the Center.” It’s a lovely song that reminds me He is at the center of it all. So I keep my eyes on our founder and perfecter of our faith. It’s so good we’re not walking alone on this journey. Love your heart…Hugs xo
Lori Boucher
This is so hard for us to truly get, thank you for this powerful reminder, we need to be reminded again and again of how much God loves us despite our failings.