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Hey Ladies,
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. (Matthew 11:28-30)
Don’t these words of Jesus provide such great comfort? He wants us to walk with Him, struggle with Him, and most of all, rest with Him. We don’t have to carry any burdens by ourselves. He wants to carry the heaviness so that we won’t be weighed down by our own pursuit of happiness.
My burden's name used to be perfection.
I used to be my own greatest enemy. I had (and still sometimes have) this tiny voice- perfection- inside of my head, correcting everything that I used to do.
Growing up as an "extreme perfectionist", my whole perspective on life was polluted by a need for perfection. It made me critical towards myself and others. I never felt worthy enough to accomplish anything and most of the time didn’t even have the courage to start with something new because I was already so afraid that I would fail.
I never felt good enough, not because of others, but because of myself.
It pushed me to reach out to others for praise instead of turning to Jesus and feeling at peace with myself. Without realizing it, it also led to immense fear and anxiety. The build-up usually resulted in procrastination since I was too scared to even try or push through. There were also times when I couldn’t trust other people with tasks, resulting in me doing everything or taking control of everything.
Luckily, God gently nudged me in the right direction, showing me that it is more than okay to be flawed, it is more than okay to be imperfect.
Don’t get me wrong, the right amount of perfection can lead to our maximum potential. However, if perfectionism is pushed into the extreme, it can be toxic and may lead to damaging results.
With the guidance of the Holy Spirit and accountability from friends in my church community, I could turn my negative thoughts into positive ones. I took it day by day, telling myself that I am trying my best and that it is good enough. I also prayed Psalm 139:14 (I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well) over myself. This helped me to overcome that "extreme perfectionism" side that was holding me bondage for a very long time of my life.
If you are at a place where you struggle with any form of perfectionism, I urge you to read and proclaim Psalm 139 over your life. May you experience the power of the Word and may it help you to overcome your thoughts of doubt. Jesus died on the Cross for you, to live in perfect union with Him. You don’t have to strive for perfection to prove your worth for Him or anyone else.
He considered you more valuable than you could ever imagine, even before you were born.
May we strive for excellence in all we do, keeping our eyes on Him through acts of obedience (Psalm 16:8). This will encourage us to love what He loves and hate what He hates. Trusting Him with every step and relying more on our faith (2 Corinthians 5:7…For we walk by faith, not by sight).
If you feel burdened by any critical inner thoughts, pray this prayer and let the Holy Spirit take control:
Dear Heavenly Father, thank you that we can take Your yoke upon us and rest in Your presence. Thank you that Your love conquers all forms of perfectionism. Thank you that I am already set free from any anxiety or stress caused by my critical inner thoughts that always tries to strive for the impossible. Jesus, you are Lord above everything, and thank You for dying on the Cross for my sins. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Lots of Love,
Tehillah
xx
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