THE PRISON OF PERFECTIONISM: I’m Not Good Enough

PERFECT:  Without errors, flaws or faults.  Excellent or ideal in every way.

Just for clarification, this does not describe me.

Nor does it describe you.

That truth comes as a relief, because there is no way we could reach this unrealistic expectation of perfectionism.

And even when we do something just right, our achievement doesn’t last for very long.  It’s just a matter of time before we blow it.

I can be a great mom… but then my kids push too far and Momma-Zilla makes an unscheduled appearance.

I can be an amazing wife… until my husband’s dirty clothes miss the hamper again and I intentionally don’t wash that shirt he needs for work.

I’m a great friend… until I completely forget the lunch date and have my phone on vibrate, missing this precious time together.

You see, my ability to be perfect is severely limited by the fact that I am human.

Sisters… yours is, too.

So when we scream at the kids… get snarky with our husbands… let down a friend… the Enemy take advantage of our failure.

He whispers a simple phrase that knocks us to our knees because it floods those secret places where our insecurities live.

The Enemy tells us…

You’re Not Good Enough

And because we already struggle with this, we allow that lie to reinforce what we already believe about ourselves.

We let the lie feed our fear that we really aren’t good enough.

Ugh.  I’m so done with that pattern.  You, too?

For most of my life, I have felt… less than.  While I might have appeared to have confidence and a healthy self-esteem, the truth is that I rarely felt I measured up.

And I bet you’ve spent a good chunk of your life feeling the same way.  We’ve all subscribed to this lie in one form or another.

What’s yours?

• I’ll never be the right size.
• My sense of style is horrible.
• I can’t parent worth a hoot.
• I’ll never have a figure like hers.
• My family is too messy.
• I’ll never cook like my friends.
• My faith isn’t as strong as hers.
• No one will ever love me.
• I’ll never have the best ministry.
• God can’t use someone like me.

When we begin comparing ourselves to another… then we begin that self-esteem-depleting decent to believing the lie that we are… not good enough.

That we are… INFERIOR.

It’s a brilliant design, really.

Because if we believe we are ordinary… if we think we are nothing special… then our ability to be powerful for the Kingdom of Jesus is neutralized.

We stay in paralysis rather than stepping into our calling.

We refuse to get out of our comfort zone.

We doubt our ability and lose our desire to try.

We struggle to believe He could use someone like… us.

Sound familiar?

So the Enemy knows that if he can get us to gauge our value by looking at all we are not, then what we really are… according to God… won’t matter.

We will consider ourselves second-rate.  Less than acceptable.  Substandard.  Mediocre.

Imperfect.

But that’s not God’s plan.

He never expected us to be perfect in the first place.

Because all people have sinned, they have fallen short of God’s glory.  (Romans 3:23 GWT)

But because He loves us so much…

because of the great worth we have in His eyes…

because He considers us to be good enough…

God sent Jesus to be the perfect bridge to reconnect us with Him.

He was… He IS… perfect enough for the both of us.

When the world says you’re not good enough, identify the voice behind the untruth.

When you feel less than, recognize the author of the lie.

When that fear of failure presents itself, starve it.

When those insecurities threaten to paralyze, step out anyway.

Perfectionism is a lie from the pit of Hell.

Fight back with God’s truth that says:

You are good enough… You are worth it… You matter… You are valuable

♥

REALITY CHECK: “Good Enough” is a performance-based term of love and acceptance.  God doesn’t speak that language.

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©2012 careyscotttalks.com

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