A Letter to Mr./Mrs. Perfection

Dear Mr./Mrs. Perfection,

How are you? Stressed out? Worried? Fearful? Pressured? Looking at the to-do list? Thinking about what you can achieve next? Dwelling on that mistake? Wondering how you can achieve more?

If you’re feeling any of these things, I can relate. This is an internal struggle of mine too. I get caught up in wondering what I can do next, what I can do better, what I can do best. Sometimes I put my worth into what I do. Do you do this too?

If so, here’s a letter for you.

…hahaha I did not mean to rhyme that much.

But anyways, in this letter you’ll find some things I’ve been reminded of lately that can help you… so write these in your planner, on your bathroom mirror, or make some notes on your phone. Hold them tight, and don’t forget.

Being is better than achieving.

I think sometimes we think that we need to achieve in order to feel worthy or enough. We feel like our accomplishments are what define us. And sometimes we get caught up so much in the process of seeking out those accolades and rewards that we forget to just be. We forget to be still. We forget to be present. We’re so rooted in what achievement is next or what mistake is behind.

Be still. The details will unfold as your obedience does.

You’d be surprised at what you’ll notice when your eyes aren’t just fixed on your own accomplishments.

The best ability is availability.

You may feel as though you’re not worthy or enough. You may believe you aren’t giving enough, doing enough, or being enough. But God thinks your best ability is your availability… and so do the people around you.

When you are able to simply be there for God and other people, when you take the time to be available, your life changes and so do your relationships with others. When I’m caught up in my own achievements and get stuck in focusing on my own advancements and to-do lists, I forget to stop and reach out my hand to advance the people around me.

Show up. Be available.

You’d be surprised at what you can give to your relationships when you do just that.

You gotta crack the egg to make the omelet.

I don’t know if you’ve noticed this… but everybody’s got stuff going on. We’ve all got problems, messes, insecurities, screwups. All of us have faults. All of us have imperfections.

But I have found that God uses my brokenness to build up others. You may have some broken pieces, but I firmly believe that God is picking them up and creating an even better masterpiece.

Sometimes you have to crack that egg. You’ve got to miss the question on the test or say the wrong thing. You’ve got to go through valleys and low points. You’ve got to have those people that don’t like you… but soon that egg will be an omelet. Your brokenness will turn to beauty. Your mess will be a masterpiece.

It’s not about what you do, but who you are.

Sometimes I think that my worth comes from what I do. I get tunnel vision, focusing on only my actions. I start thinking about building my own kingdom rather than His. Then I remember something...

God looks at the heart, not my resume.

I’ve come to find that no reward or praise that I have received ever comes close to the love and grace of God that has been freely given. He gives us all that we need. He gives to us and fills us up with what actually matters. When we realize this and stop frantically pursuing after perfection, we realize that we don’t become perfect by our own doing.

I hope you can understand that to the world, what you do will never be enough nor be perfect… but to God, who you are is everything, and you are made perfect through Him.

Sincerely,

Your sister in Christ