Debunking Perfection

I have struggled since I was a little girl with wanting to be "perfect" and have lived all of my days feeling like I've just not measured up to the girls on the fronts of magazines, or the cultural expectations of going to college, becoming successful; having a career, knowing exactly what to say in every situation...there is not an area in my life that I have not striven to be perfect, but I have continually failed and have felt defeated as I was not getting any closer to "perfect". God revealed why this morning during my Bible reading and below are my thoughts. I gained a whole new outlook on my life with this matter of being "perfect". I hope it helps you too!

To become perfect isn't transforming yourself into what you think everyone else wants you to be. Perfection comes when you become complete as the person you *are*. Striving to be who you are not will only create a more imperfect you. In our culture we have completely recreated what the word perfect means. It started out meaning complete, whole, or mature. Now it's having all the *desirable* elements, qualities, and characteristics; as good as it's possible to be. When God uses the word perfect in the Bible, He is not wanting us to try to work towards an unattainable goal (which is the latter of the preceding definitions.) He wants us to become mature and whole as a person....which *is* possible.

When we get so focused on perfection we are actually doing our families and ourselves harm. We become uptight and so consumed with something that is completely out of reach. I have too often painted an unrealistic picture in my mind of what the day will be like only to end the day crying and wondering where I went wrong when things didn't go as I thought they would or should. Now I see that I just simply need to stop painting these scenes. So many things can happen in a day that can throw "perfect" out the window in a hurry! My main focus should not be the painting, but the subjects. I get so caught up in what the next scene should look like and miss many moments in the here and now. I thought I was loving my family by wanting to create perfection for them. All they really need is me just being with them and not worrying about every little detail...although I do still believe some of the details are important, lol!! Losing my perfectionistic mentality may take some time! :)

Below is the verse that has changed my heart and my vision. Another way I have found to Live in the Sunshine and be a ray of sunlight for others!

Psalm 101:2 I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. O when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.