Day 34 – Fit For Life Challenge

Happy Day 34!

Let’s start with this passage. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, “And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you; my strength is made perfect in weakness’ Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest on me. Therefore I take pleasure in weaknesses, in reproaches,in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
Anyone out there a perfectionist? Anyone out there a “fixer”… you want to make everything right, make everyone happy, and get your to-do list completely checked off daily? But yet your mind can go a million miles a minute thinking about all the things you didn’t get right, or the things you could’ve done better. After all, isn’t it a good thing to pursue perfection? It sounds good. But here’s the problem; no matter how much you accomplish or how well you perform… if you are a perfectionist, it’s never going to be enough. You can’t see the 99% you got right because you’re focusing on that 1% where you messed up. You are your own worst critic. You beat yourself up trying to get everything right. If it’s your “diet”, and you allow yourself one treat….you punish yourself over it. You can’t stop thinking about the one thing you accidentally forgot to do at work last week…(you know who you are)….God gives you grace…but you don’t do the same for yourself! You show yourself no grace. We aren’t called to be perfect on this journey.! We are called to be obedient to Christ! That’s it! Let me share a few things that perfectionism will rob you of…

1. Perfectionism will rob you of your
joy!
In your own strength you are striving to get it all checked off, do everything right.. it’s exhausting and suffocating! It makes you anxious and stressed out. (Remember, when we don’t deal with stress properly, it comes out in our physical health.). And it’s prideful. It’s taking this whole thing in your own hands and not allowing God to work through you. This journey you are on will not be perfect! But PROGRESS is the goal! By giving the Holy Spirit control, instead of your own flesh, you will find rest, peace and joy! Small victories along the way in an imperfect journey are meant to be celebrated! Take joy in your journey, knowing you won’t get it all right! It’s ok! God’s grace is sufficient for you! Be glad you are perfectly imperfect because that’s when His power is made perfect! We will know it wasn’t our power that got us through; it was His! It’s not about us! We don’t have to be perfect. Find joy in that! You are an imperfect person loved and accepted by a perfect God!

2. Perfectionism will rob you of being in the moment. Work on being present, even when things don’t go as planned. Even when you mess up, or things are off schedule… it’s more important to be present than perfect! Don’t miss out on something God has for you NOW because you’re waiting for the perfect time, or the perfect circumstances! Take a deep breath, realize there are no accidents with God.. He is in control and just enjoy the moment you’re in! We miss so much of the NOW in our life because we’re stressing about yesterday or worrying about tomorrow!

3. Perfectionism will you rob you of a closer, more intimate relationship with the Lord. If we are so busy spinning our wheels trying to do everything in our own power, we are missing out on that sweet relationship that comes from TRUST and reliance on Him! Jesus doesn’t expect perfection, He just wants our heart. He asks for our obedience. Obedience, not striving for perfection in our own strength, is key to getting to know Christ in a more intimate way. We are called to pick up our cross and simply follow Him.
Yes we are to strive for excellence in our life. Yes we are to do everything as unto the Lord. But the difference is when we are focused on trivial and Earthly things, striving to get everything right, stressing and worrying , we are missing out on the special plans and sweet delights that Jesus has set before us TODAY! I don’t want to miss a thing He has for me! We have to be in that loving, obedient relationship with Him to recognize the things that are important to Him. When we are doing the things HE WANTS US TO DO, relying on His strength to accomplish them, it’s a much more peaceful journey! He calls to us daily to just draw close to Him in His presence. When we choose to listen, we leave the pursuit of perfection behind and we are simply nourished by His Word and His love! It puts everything in perspective. His grace gives us the courage to be who He’s called us to be! His grace energizes us to do what He has called us to do! By His grace we are free from the slavery to perfectionism! Grace frees us to be REAL!

God wants to use us to love and impact a very broken world. Before He can do that we need to just be present with him.. not perfect! Being real and vulnerable invites people in. People can relate to failure and imperfection. Grace allows us to let the real us show! We need to come as we are with all our imperfections and we can KNOW that in our weaknesses, His strength is made perfect!

Action Step 34👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼
Today’s step takes a mindset shift. Let go of yesterday and don’t worry about tomorrow. Be present in your life TODAY. Relax and breathe! Talk to God about your weaknesses and imperfections and rely on Him for his perfect strength! Things happen. We mess up. It’s ok! But He is faithful ! He gives us a fresh start each day! So how will you seize this day?