I'm a confessed perfectionist. I despise making mistakes. I hate misspelled words (why is misspell so hard to spell?). When I finish a project, I'm never really satisfied. I'm always aware that it could have been better. There's always "one more thing" that could be done.

One way of coping is to learn to say "good enough." I could put more time and effort into it, but this is enough to get by. "Good enough" works for things that aren't all that important, but what about important things? Do you want the doctor performing your surgery to settle for "good enough"? Do you want the man inspecting the airplane you'll be flying on to aim for "good enough" in his work?

That's the dilemma when I think of my life as a whole. I want to be perfect, but I'm not. At the same time, I don't want to settle for something that's just "good enough." I want excellence, yet I'm painfully aware of the many ways in which I fall short.

That's the dilemma when I think of my life as a whole. I want to be perfect, but I'm not.

It's an old struggle. The only hope I've found is in the power of Jesus Christ. He can help me to live the way I should, and he can make up for all the mistakes that I make. Only through him can this perfectionist find some peace. In Jesus, I don't have to be perfect. Jesus makes me perfect. He doesn't just tell me what I should do. He helps me to do it! And when I resist and insist on doing things my way, He is still there to forgive me and fix my mistakes.

So I finally found the way to be perfect. I just have to stop trying to be perfect on my own and let Jesus make me perfect. How much easier could it be? I know that someday Christ's work in me will be finished and I will be what I always wanted to be: perfect.

I'd love to talk to you more about what Jesus has to offer. Drop me a line at tim@hopeforlife.org.

Tim Archer

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Are you presently experiencing a new life? God's word says, "if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" This new life is a free gift of God through faith in Jesus Christ. If you want to know more about this life that only Jesus can give you, sign up for one of our Bible courses. Wherever you are in life, whatever you've done, you can begin again. You may also contact us at info@hopeforlife.org if you have questions about becoming a new creation.

 

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© 2007 Herald of Truth

Title: "Confessions of a Perfectionist"
Author: Tim Archer
Publication Date: April 11, 2007

Wild at Heart by John Eldredge Helping men rediscover their masculine heart, this is a guide to understanding Christian manhood and Christian men.

Tim coordinates the Spanish-Speaking Ministries of Herald of Truth and writes for HopeForLife. You can reach him at (866) 814-4673 or (866) 814-HOPE or by writing to tarcher@heraldoftruth.org.

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