When Good Becomes the Enemy of God’s Best
I'll admit it, I'm a perfectionist to my core. My world revolves around precise alignment, immaculate organization, and flawless execution. Spreadsheets must be color-coded, books arranged by genre and height, and every project I tackle must be completed to exacting standards. It's exhausting, really.
Lately, though, the Lord has been gently working with me to differentiate between excellence and perfectionism. Both seem similar on the surface, but their motivations are entirely different, and only one is pleasing to God.
Excellence is a spiritual discipline motivated by love for God. It's about giving your best effort, talent, and time because you love God and want to honor Him. It is a form of worship, and it is flexible and adaptable.
Perfectionism is a work of the flesh motivated by fear and a desire for control. It's about striving for an impossible, flawless standard to gain approval from others, to control the outcome, and to avoid criticism. It is a form of self-worship, and it is rigid and brittle.
Don’t Despise the Small Things, Part One
Recently, I’ve had the honor of being invited to teach two 30-minute lessons each month to be viewed in India. This is a real privilege, but at first, I was a little concerned about how I would fit it into my already-full schedule. After much prayer, the Lord opened my eyes to the fact that these videos could be used in many ways, including blog posts. So, I’ve broken the videos down into small pieces and plan to share them with you over the coming weeks. Don’t worry, there were still be traditional devotional posts as well. But this will allow me to share the truth of God’s Word with many more people without much extra time. I’m excited, and I hope you are as well. So, let’s get started. Shall we?