galatians 5.1 (niv), 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.
what is paul talking about when he says, don't be burdened by the yoke of slavery? he is talking about the number one emotional hang up that people experience today. it is one of satan's greatest psychological weapon. it causes more misery, more heartache, more depression than anything else. many of you are dealing with it this right now.
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.
GOD warns: don't get involved in perfectionism. HE says it's a damage to our life because sooner or later we realize we're not perfect and then we have to start wearing masks and pretending we're perfect when we're not. we know we're not inside.
why does HE demand that we avoid perfection? why does HE demand that we let go of this burden? why does HE want us to be free in CHRIST?
for one, perfectionism 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 failures. 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…
1 comment:
nice article bill and haven nice day
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