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Seeking perfection and feeling like it is a lost cause? It’s not. While perfection may not always come in the form we expect, it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t seek it.
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I’ve been doing some soul searching for quite a while. As someone who is more of a thinker than a doer, it has taken me a while to come around to my conclusions because I actually had to do some things to get there!
Like many other moms, I have found motherhood to be a journey that took me places I never would have expected. While I loved my “job,” it felt like it required an amount of perfection I was never going to attain.
I doubted myself and my abilities, not only as a mom but as a wife and woman. It was a strange, adolescent-like feeling. Not lost, or adrift because I was firmly rooted in my home, tethered to my family but somehow I felt like the direction I was aimed at, was wrong.
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Seeking Perfection
I started journalling, deep, real, raw journalling. Something I always knew was good but struggled to put into practice.
I also continued to work hard at keeping my physical body healthy, which included vigorous workouts and healthy food choices.
And eventually, when I couldn’t manage physical pain on my own, I saw professionals to find out what was wrong.
What I realized through all these things was that I had been seeking my idea of what perfection was. What I had been doing was trying to force a square into a circle-sized hole.
You see the Bible is clear about perfection; Only God is perfect.
And one of the great weaknesses of being human is to try and achieve perfection, but human perfection.
James 3:2 says if you call yourself perfect, you must be able to bridle your whole body. This is making reference to Matthew 12:37 where you will be justified or condemned by your words. While we are given the power of self-control (2 Timothy 1:7), we know that it is nearly impossible to control your whole body all the time.
In other words, we cannot truly be perfect because inevitably, as hard as we try, we will make mistakes and have blemishes that leave us imperfect.
For some (like me), it can make us feel unworthy. We strive and try and reach for perfection when we know deep down that it isn’t possible. So when we fall short, when we make mistakes, we look at ourselves as complete and utter failures instead of the way God looks at us.
Through God’s Eyes
God doesn’t define us by our actions or our abilities. He doesn’t withhold love because we make a mistake. His Fatherly love is the covenant He has made with us. It is His promise that He will never leave nor forsake us.
He created us with a plan and purpose in mind, but He also knew that we would have bumps and bruises along the way. Our imperfections are what help us learn and grow closer to our Heavenly Father.
The only one who was and is truly perfect is Jesus (Hebrews 5:9).
So if we are seeking perfection, we should be seeking our Messiah, there is no one else who can share the power as He can.
Jesus says in Matthew 19:21 to be perfect you must sell your worldly belongings and follow Him. In other words, seeking perfection means to seek Him.
Perfection isn’t found in the work we do, or the way we look. Perfection is found in our daily walk with God.
God doesn’t care if you burnt the toast, missed washing a cup or forgot the laundry in the washing machine overnight.
He isn’t looking for you to be perfect in everything you do, but rather that you accept your stumbles and ask for forgiveness. If you are seeking Him continually, praying and reading the Bible then you are walking towards perfection. You are stepping out of the boat into the storm with your eyes on Jesus.
*Inhale* and Tell Yourself You Don’t Have to Be Perfect
It seems like such a simple statement, but to truly understand it first you must let go of trying to be perfect. You have to understand that while we may see worldly reasons for perfection, it’s God’s reasons that are better; his reasons matter.
When we seek God, we are seeking a perfection that will outlast this world; we are seeking His kingdom. What we deem perfect today (perfect hair, a perfect picture, a perfect meal), likely will be forgotten within a week. But when we seek perfection in God, we know that it is everlasting.
This is what I came to accept. The truth I had always known but had stubbornly only half practised. I realized I couldn’t attempt perfection, I couldn’t hold on to all my mistakes and punish myself for things that were short-lived.
I needed to focus my perfection on what was going to last forever. And when I did this, I started to work on the earthly things that truly mattered.
Once I started seeking perfection in the way God wanted me to, it changed my perception of things and allowed me to forgive my honest mistakes, because God had already forgiven them.
We should be seeking perfection through the one way it is possible; Jesus. Living our lives for Him will keep us walking towards His throne of grace, and the only thing with everlasting meaning.
So let go of whatever ideal you hold of “perfect” and turn your face towards God’s perfect grace, the only perfection we can achieve!
For more Christian resources, including one of my favourite Bibles, check out my top choices from Amazon!
Seeking Perfection Through the Fruits of the Spirit
When seeking perfection we need to seek Jesus! Continue to draw close to Him by cultivating the fruits of the spirit. These are qualities moms need daily as they raise their children.
Read this ebook devotional and then use the weekly planning pages to work on one fruit each week. Grow closer to God each week as you rely on his strength and step deeper in your faith! Grab this digital download here.
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