the apostle paul in galatians 5.1 (niv) talks about the number
one emotional hang up that people experience today. it causes more misery, more
heartache, more depression than anything else.
many of you are dealing with it right now. he says, it is for freedom CHRIST has set
us free. stand firm, then, and do not
let yourselves be burdened again by the yoke of slavery
paul didn't use this word, but what he was talking about
was the paralysis of perfectionism – trying to maintain the approval of GOD or
the approval of others or the approval of self by maintaining a perfect
performance. it’s a subtle trap and all
of us tend to fall into it.
paul didn't use this word, but what he was talking about
was the paralysis of perfectionism – trying to maintain the approval of GOD or
the approval of others or the approval of self by maintaining a perfect
performance. it’s a subtle trap and all
of us tend to fall into it.
now one of the results perfectionism has in your life is
it damages your initiative. it destroys it.
when you think you’ve got to be perfect in everything,
you never get started. it kind of kills
your enthusiasm. it’s kind of the
philosophy of “if i can’t be the best, then i won’t even try.”
how many of you in college or high school did not go out
for a sport because you thought, “i won’t make it on the first string, so why
try”? how many of you have ever said, “if
the project is not going to be perfect, i don’t even want to be a part of it”?
perfection paralyzes your initiative. it keeps you from getting started. it is the fear of failure. you never accomplish anything because you’re
afraid you may fail, it might not turn out perfect so as a result, you never
get anything done. it paralyzes our
potential. we set such high standards
for ourselves that when anything comes along we think, if i can’t do my best, i
won't do anything.
just a
thought from the front porch…
2 comments:
Indeed! I find that MANY people have this emotional baggage. Sadly, it is hard for a great number of us to push through those feelings. (I have been there!)
Personally, I contribute a lot of those pressures to today's media. Our media unjustly portrays the idea that you must be THIS thin, THIS pretty, and THIS smart to be considered sexy, popular, and/or successful.
You must have the NEWEST cell phone, the COOLEST shoes, and the BIGGEST house.
We advertise INSTANT Mac 'n Cheese (shaking my angry fist!) and then turn around 30 seconds later and run a Weight Watchers commercial! How many mixed signals can we send in a 3 minute commercial run?
From a very young age our children are overwhelmed by such propaganda. As they continue to age, the pressure builds, as do the confusion and insecurities.
It is quite a sad cycle.
I am not the richest, skinniest, or smartest person I know- but I do know that I am perfectly happy. I teach my children to be kind, considerate, have integrity, and to be grateful for what you DO have and who you are. If you focus on what you don't have- you'll never be happy because that list is endless.
Instead, focus on the positives. While they are harder to spot sometimes, they are what matter most.
Thank you for sharing- great morning warm up for the ol' brain!
thank you for your connect.
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